BTDTL Volume 11: Search for the Keys
by AndrewK9000
Summary: Things are heading towards the engame as Sora, Hayner and their respective teams close in on the remaining keys to unlock the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis. But the enemy have plans of their own, culminating in the worst one Gideon has to offer yet.
1. Chapter 1: Clash at Pixy Hollow

Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my next Kingdom Hearts story and I hope you like it! Okay, this takes place just after the end of Volume 10 of my Beyond the Door to Light, where Sora and his friends, and Hayner and his friends teamed up with heroes from other worlds to save the realms of light from Maleficent and a bunch of new baddies. This fic will cross Kingdom Hearts with The Twilight Saga, His Dark Materials and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, among other cool stuff that will come along as they emerge from my imagination. I'll add disclaimers to each chapter for each new element added. Now I don't won any of the stuff in this fic, except for my original characters, so please don't sue me, I'm only trying to tell a good story.

Also, I want to point out that I had a falling out with my beta reader. This writer, whom shall remain nameless, wanted to change my stories to fit what he saw as a good story. I disagreed with his changes, and with other issues, to the point that I am no longer associated with this writer and have removed the changes, going back to my original story. It's not perfect, but it's what I feel is right and true to myself. If the writer whom shall remain nameless disagrees with me, then don't read my stories, and please don't review the story either because I don't want to know what you think if all you're going to do is disrespect me and my imagination.

Sorry for ranting like that, I'm just trying to tell you all how serious these few weeks have been for me.

And now, without further delay, please enjoy…

**Kingdom Hearts: Beyond the Door to Light**

**Volume 11: Search for the Keys**

**By AndrewK9000**

**Chapter 1: Clash at Pixy Hollow**

"Is that it?" Aiden asked as The Intrepid Heart settled into orbit around a mostly water world that had various small islands, while one side of the world had a huge clock tower. "Is this really it? Or have we gone through another weird time/space mess and come at somewhere else?"

"That's Neverland alright," said Sora, "we're finally here."

"It's about time," said Riku, "I was starting to think that we might never get here."

"I'm just glad we're somewhere," said Tess, "after that insanity in that dream world, I'm just happy to be going someplace real."

"You said it," said Kairi.

Our heroes had just finished visiting several worlds in the realms of light, each world an adventure unto itself. Yet with each world they visited, they left with one special item, a gold key that, apparently, unlocks a special item, The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis, that's in a hidden vault in Traverse Town.

Joining Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Donald and Goofy on their latest journey was Jacob Black, a Native American shape shifter who can turn into a huge wolf. Jacob happens to be bonded to a half human, half vampire girl who was separated from him and is now traveling throughout the worlds with another group of heroes.

Also joining Sora and the others was Lyra Silvertone and her daemon Pantalimion or just Pan, also from another world. Lyra and Pan come from a world where the souls of humans exist as animals. Lyra has the ability to use a special item known as the Alethiometer, which can answer any question. As it turns out, Lyra's first love, one Will Parry and his Daemon Kirjava, were with the other group of heroes.

Jacob and his soul mate, one Renesmee 'Nessie' Cullen, were forced out of their world by one Gideon Graves, a true Villain of the worst kind. Sora and the others learned that Gideon had hunted down Nessie because he thought she was the one he needed, but she wasn't, so he used a curse that blasted Nessie, Jacob, her family and his packmates, out of their world and scattered them across the realms. Sora and the others promised Jacob that they would find the missing ones.

As for Lyra and Pan, they volunteered to leave their world to stop Gideon and his vile plans, which involve convincing Maleficent that all Gideon wanted was Kairi. In truth, Gideon needs Kairi who, as both a Princess of Heart and a Keyblade Wielder, is the one he wants. Gideon plans to place Kairi under his control so he can kidnap the new Princesses of Heart and use them to open a door to limbo and release the real enemy; Light Yagami, otherwise known as Kira, a man who sees himself as a god.

All of this and more Sora and the others learned in an artificial dream. In the dream, Sora and his friends met up with the other heroes, consisting of Hayner, Pence and Olette of Twilight Town, as well as Nessie, Will and Kirjava.

As the two groups met in the dream, Ansem the Wise revealed himself to Sora and the others as alive and well, and working with one Young Watari, who works for the infamous L Lawlett, otherwise known as Ryuzaki. Many questions were left unanswered, but both groups of heroes had enough to realize that they were into something bigger than they could have imagined.

But there was hope. Ryuzaki explained that The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis had the power to destroy Maleficent, Gideon and Kira, assuming all 13 gold keys that unlock the talisman can be brought to Traverse Town before Gideon gets his hands on Kairi.

Both sets of heroes promised to find the remaining keys, as well as Nessie's family and Jacob's pack, before meeting up in Traverse Town and unsealing the talisman.

"We've got three of the keys," said Kairi, while Aiden and Tess held up said golden keys, "while Hayner and his team have three more."

"There's still seven to find," said Riku.

"And we have to find everyone who's missing," said Lyra as she, Pan and Jacob walked onto the bridge, shortly followed by Roxas and Naminé.

"Not only is Nessie out there getting into trouble," said Jacob, "we have to find my packmates, and the Cullen's."

"So how many of the vampires are out there?" Roxas asked.

"Well there's Bella and Edward, Nessie's parents," said Jacob, "then there's Alice, Jasper and Emmet, and Rosalie."

"I've got a feeling that you don't like the last one that much," said Naminé.

"Me and Rosalie don't have a really happy relationship," said Jacob, "which is kinda good considering how much vampires and wolves never really like each other in the first place."

"Well I'm glad things worked out for you," said Sora, "and we'll get you, Nessie, your friends and her family all back together soon."

"Just as soon as we find all of those gold keys and unseal the talisman," said Aiden, "whatever it is."

"You'd think Ryuzaki would at least tell us what the talisman looks like," said Tess, "so we'd know it when we see it."

"It's the only object in the sealed vault," said Lyra as she looked at her Alethiometer, a golden device the size of a large compass with 36 symbols on the face, three small hands that could be moved by three wheels along the sides, which are used to ask questions, and a fourth, larger hand that moved on its own and represented the answers.

"Can the Alethiometer be used to find which worlds have keys on them?" Sora asked.

"I've already tried," said Lyra, "but there's no answer. It's the Nobody-control items blocking it."

"We're going to have to go after every single Uridium item in the realms in order for the Alethiometer to work again, aren't we?" Kairi asked.

"What bugs me is that Maleficent's allowed herself to be duped by Gideon and his minions," said Riku.

"There's always someone worse," said Roxas, "if it's not Maleficent, it's that fake Ansem, Xehanort's Heartless, or it's Xemnes, and now Gideon."

"And I'll be Kira next if we're not careful," said Naminé.

"Then there's not a moment to wait," said Sora, "let's go to Neverland already!"

Just then Sidney, the ship's artificial intelligence program, materialized next to Aiden, startling him, "I only have a bit of advice for you crazy heroes."

"Don't do that!" snapped Aiden, "are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Just keeping you all on your toes!" said a grinning Sidney, "so, have fun down there and if you need any help, just give me a call."

"I've got the ship on speed dial," said Riku as he held up his cell phone.

"Good," said Sidney, "oh, and remember to wipe your feet before you come back up. This ship is my body and I want it kept clean."

"We always keep the ship clean," said Kairi.

"Well just be sure that you remember," said Sidney.

"We will," said Sora. He and the others then headed for the transporter room.

"So what can we expect on this world?" Jacob asked as they got onto the transporter pad.

"Oh, not much," said Roxas, "just fairies and pirates."

"We'll we've seen fairies and pirates," said Kairi, "but I've never seen them together, not awake that is. The last time I was here I was little more than a breathing doll."

"Well this time we're going to show you around," said Roxas, "I remember hopping around all sorts of small islands. And of course, there's Captain Hook."

"Oh, yeah, Captain Hook," said Sora, "that guy's just a cuttlefish, or codfish, whatever Peter called him. But that doesn't mean he's not dangerous, so if we run into Hook, be careful."

"We're always careful when it comes to Villains," said Kairi.

"Well now we have to be extra careful," said Sora, "we now know what the baddies want with you. I'm not going to let that jerk Gideon have his way with you."

"I hope not," said Kairi, "the thought of being turned evil so I can hunt down and capture the new Princesses of Heart makes me shudder," she then shuddered, "you see?"

"What about me?" Aiden asked, "I'm the one with the faces of the last two Princesses in my head. Maleficent's gonna trawl my brain if she gets her hands on my head."

"And such a precious head it is," teased Tess.

"Darn right my brain is precious," said Aiden as he stubbornly crossed his arms, "so let's just get those damn keys already."

They all got onto the transporter pad and prepared to beam down, "keep the light on, Sidney," said Sora.

"Will do," said Sidney, "energizing."

The next thing Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Donald, Goofy, Jacob, Lyra and Pan knew, they were all on the beach of a tropical island.

"Now all we have to do is find Tink," said Sora.

"Easier said than done," said Riku.

But then a certain blond pixy flew up and hovered in front of Sora's face. She had a highly annoyed look about her as she glared at Sora, as if saying 'why haven't you come already?'

"So that's a fairy?" Lyra asked in an amazed tone.

"How should I know?" Jacob asked.

"That's Tink alright," said Roxas.

"Uh…hi, Tink," said Sora, "sorry about not coming to see you sooner."

Tink stubbornly crossed her arms and turned away.

"I said I was sorry," said Sora, "and I want to thank you for the Pixy Dust, it's really been a help."

"It has," said Roxas, "and I'm sorry I couldn't helped you better when I was here. I was just following orders and didn't know better. Honestly, if I knew what I know now back then, I would have helped you first and foremost when you asked me."

"What do you want from them?" Kairi asked Tink, "they're apologizing for their ignoring you, what more do you want?"

Just then Peter Pan flew down out of the say, startling Aiden, "she's just being stubborn," said Peter, "I kinda've been ignoring her as well, what with helping Wendy and her brothers. You must be Kairi, nice to see you awake for once."

"Is the whole freaking universe out to give me a heart attack!" said an irate Aiden.

"If you can't take the heat," said Peter as he hovered with his hands behind his neck, "then get out of the water."

"That doesn't make any sense at all," said Tess, "then again, not a whole lot as made sense since I joined up with these maniacs."

"Well you're the murdering psychopath," said Aiden, "I'm just an alchemist with a reluctant quest on his head."

"Peter," said Sora, "that's Aiden, he's cool. You already know Riku, but he's okay now." Sora then introduced Tess, Lyra and Pan, and Jacob.

"You guys certainly are out of this world," said Peter as he hovered around Lyra and Jacob.

"And you're certainly different," said Lyra, "I've seen some strange things in my travels, but never someone who can fly like this."

"This worlds' just full of surprises," said Peter.

"I'm sure we'll see a lot," said Jacob.

By then Tink had warmed up again to Sora and Roxas. By her gesturing she had forgiven their lack of contact with her. Sora and Roxas then introduced Kairi and Naminé to the blond pixy.

"So, Peter," said Sora, "any trouble with the Heartless lately?"

"Oh, just the usual stuff," said Peter as he did the backstroke in midair, "nothing I can't handle, but then these fish monsters that walk on land showed up and attacked Pixy Hollow."

"Pixy Hollow?" Kairi asked.

"It's where all of Tink's friends live," said Peter, "where they get their magic and help keep the seasons of the worlds going. Without Pixy Hollow, the seasons wouldn't exist and everything would be dull and lifeless."

"That's horrible!" said Naminé, "life needs the changing of the seasons."

"Tell that to the demons," said Peter.

"Tink," said Sora, "exactly what's going on?"

Tink then began chattering in her bell-like voice, but Sora and the others didn't understand her at all.

"This is getting us nowhere fast," said Riku, "there's got to be a way for us to understand her."

Jus then Tink looked like she had remembered something extremely important. Sora then realized that Tink had two pouches of Pixy dust, her normal one and one colored blue. She took a some dust from the blue pouch, the dust was also colored blue, and sprinkled some on Sora.

"Can you hear me now?" Tink asked.

"I can!" said a surprised Sora, "how did you…?"

"Special Pixy Dust from the Blue Harvest Moon," said Tink, "let's just say that Blue Pixy Dust has special qualities."

"You can understand her now?" a confused Kairi asked.

"Let me share the love," said Tink. She then flew to Kairi, Riku, Aiden and the others and sprinkled them with some Blue Dust.

"We can finally understand you, Tink!" said Roxas, "this is awesome!"

"I know," said Tink, "but we can celebrate later. We've got a lot of trouble. Sora, my friends and I can really use your help, you and your friends."

"We're on it," said Sora, while Kairi, Riku and the others nodded in agreement."

"Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?" Jacob asked.

"You think fairies are strange?" Lyra asked, "I once met people who are so small they can ride on dragonflies."

"Oh, that must be so cool!" said Tink, "I'd never thought about that. I'll have to try it sometime, but that can wait. Come on! I'll show you all to Pixy Hollow."

…Neverland…

"So exactly what's been happening, Tink?" Sora asked as the blond pixy showed our heroes across the land.

"It started a few days ago," said Tink, "these…things… these monsters, they showed up with a huge army of Heartless and other things. They tried to destroy Pixy Hollow, but every fairy in Neverland stood together and we all combined our powers to force them away. The big monsters couldn't come close because Pixy Hollow has its own magical protection, but the smaller monsters, including Heartless, they could get closer, so they're the ones we had to worry about."

"That's what been bugging me, Sora," said Peter, "how come there's a whole lot of Heartless around here again? I thought you took care of that problem."

"We did seal the Keyhole for Neverland," said Sora, "but the baddies, they found a way to go around that."

"It doesn't seem like they can do it again any time soon," said Kairi, "otherwise we'd really be in trouble."

"Well, we managed to force the baddies away," said Tink, "but they could come back at any time, and who know what they'll try next? I've got all sorts of ideas on how to protect Pixy Hollow, but there's not much that my friends and I have to work with."

"Well, show us what you have and we'll make the best of it," said Sora.

"And we'll all help," said Kairi, while Riku and the others nodded in agreement.

"That's so great of all of you," said a smiling Tink, "come on! Pixy Hollow is this way! Oh, I can't wait to introduce you to all of my friends!"

* * *

><p>Far out to sea aboard the <em>Jolly Rodger<em>, three demons were planning a vile scheme with Captain Hook. The three demons were all dressed like pirates and had water predators attributes. One was like a hammerhead shark, the other like a piranha and the third had an elongated neck and a snake-like head, like a sea serpent .

"What exactly is it you malevolent monsters want?" Captain Hook asked.

"It's not what we want," said the hammerhead demon, "it's what our lord and master, Gideon Graves, wants."

"Mr. Graves wants chaos across the worlds," said the piranha demon, "and the best way to cause chaos is to ruin the balance of nature."

"And the best way to do that is to destroy Pixy Hollow," said the sea serpent demon. "Especially their Home Tree. And you, Captain Hook, are going to help us do it."

"And why should I help you devilish demons?" Hook asked.

"Because if you don't," said the hammerhead demon, "we'll destroy your ship and eat you down to your bones."

"And then we'll eat the bones," said the piranha demon.

"But if you do help us," said the sea serpent demon, "we'll reward you with treasure beyond your wildest dreams."

"What kid of treasure do you say?" Hook asked as he stroked his moustache in a thoughtful manner.

"Imagine enough gold, silver, gems and other forms of precious goods to fill this ship ten times over," said the sea serpent demon, "and then imagine a ship big enough to fill it all."

"That be a lot of treasure," said Hook, "but I already have a ship. The _Jolly Rodger_ has served me well for many a year. I'd be hard pressed to part with her."

"Ah, yes," said the hammerhead demon, "humans and their bonds with material possessions."

"Alright then," said the sea serpent demon, "imagine instead your own island where you can store the treasure, complete with a castle in which you can count that treasure to your heart's content."

"Tempting," said Hook, "very tempting indeed. But not good enough. You see, that blasted Peter Pan is a friend of the fairies, which don't exist by the way."

"But they do exist," said the piranha demon, "otherwise there'd be no need to destroy their home."

"I know that," said Hook, "I only denied their existence because every time someone says that they don't believe in fairies, one of them dies somewhere."

"Fair enough," said the piranha demon.

"I know what you want," said the sea serpent demon, "you wish for the demise of Peter Pan."

"I loath that boy," said Hook through gritted teeth, "I hate him so much, and not just for the loss of me hand," he held up his hook, "I'd repay him a thousand fold, but he only have two hands, where I only have one!"

"We can arrange it so that you can torment the boy until there is nothing of him left," said the hammerhead demon.

"Yes, that may work for me," said Hook, "but it's still not enough for my assisting you."

"Then there is only one other thing in which we can offer you," said the sea serpent demon, "the crocodile who took your hand."

"You can bring me hand back?" Hook asked hopefully, "I'd give me right eyetooth for me hand back."

"Unfortunately bodily reconstruction isn't one of our talents," said the piranha demon, "however, we can offer you revenge."

"We can arrange it so that the beast who ate your hand is delivered to you trusted up for the kill. We will deliver the monster for you to kill."

"Swoggle me eyes!" said Hook, "I'd gladly accept revenge. Very well, I'll do it. Consider Pixy Hollow destroyed." he then looked up to the wheel of the ship, "Mr. Smee! Set course for Pixy Hollow!"

"Aye, captain!" said Mr. Smee as he turned the wheel of the ship, "we're on our way! We should be within canon range inside two hours."

"Excellent," said Hook, "we'll blast them all to the moon!"

"You just need to get us there," said the sea serpent demon, "we will do all the necessary work."

"The magic of the fairies prevents our kind from even coming close to their Home Tree," said the hammerhead demon, "that tree is the source of their Pixy Dust, without which they cannot fly outside their native realm and deliver the magic that changes and balances the seasons."

"However, if humans were to show us the way," said the piranha demon, "if they were to arrive in fairy territory first and invite us in, then there would be nothing to stop us from destroying the fairies and their magic, forever."

"I'm beginning to like this plan of yours," said Hook, "but you'll never get to the wretched fairies, not with that blasted Peter Pan as their friend."

"You just get us to where we need to go," said the sea serpent demon, "we'll worry about the details."

At that time one of the Pirate-type Heartless had taken the wheel, allowing Mr. Smee to walk up to Hook, "uh, Captain? Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, with no disrespect of course, we depend on nature for the wind. Without the wind, what kind of pirates will we be?"

"Rich kinds, Mr. Smee," said Hook, "rich beyond our wildest dreams. After this act of villainy, we can all retire and live out or days as kings! And that blasted Peter Pan will be no more!"

"If you say so, Captain," sighed Mr. Smee.

"And that croc," said Hook, "that horrible croc who took me hand, he'll finally get his as well!" he then laughed loudly, but then stopped as a faint ticking sound was heard, "What's that!" Hook asked as he trembled with fear, "oh no! The croc's back! Come to eat the rest of me!"

"Oh, forgive me," said the hammerhead demon as he held up an old fashion pocket watch, "that's just me, checking the time."

"I don't know why you insist on keeping that outdated piece of junk," said the sea serpent demon, "everyone else in Mr. Grave's employment has gone digital," he pointed to his PDA, while the piranha demon held up his Mobile.

"I'm just nostalgic," said the hammerhead demon as he put his watch back into his pocket

"We'll don't scare me like that!" snapped Hook, "I'm under enough stress as it is!"

"You might want to try relaxation techniques of some sort," said the sea serpent demon, "even we demons get stressed out sometimes."

"Maybe you should go on a vacation, captain," said Mr. Smee.

"Tempting," said Hook, "but there's so much to do and so little time to do it all in."

Just then the sound of a clock ticking could be heard again.

"Oh no!" shouted a terrified Hook, "it's the croc! He's back to eat me!"

"Sorry," said the hammerhead demon as he held up his cell phone, who's ringtone was like a ticking clock, "that was me again."

"You really need to get a life," said the piranha demon.

"You really need to get a life," said the hammerhead demon in a mocking tone, "I'll give you a life," he then answered his phone, "yeah, it's me…really? You caught one of them? Which one? Oh, not the one we were hoping for…that's still fine. We can use that one to lure the others into a trap. I'll call back when we're closer. By then we'll have come up with a plan." The demon then disconnected his call.

"What happened?" the sea serpent demon asked.

"One of our lieutenants just captured one of the fairies," said the hammerhead demon."

"Is it the one who's always around that blasted Peter Pan?" Hook asked, "that wretched Tinker Bell?"

"Unfortunately that one wasn't with the group that my subordinates stumbled on," said the hammerhead demon, "but we can use the one we caught as bait for the fairy whom you, Captain Hook, has had a grudge on."

"No," said the sea serpent demon, "I have a better idea."

"And what would that be?" the piranha demon asked.

"Instead of capturing more of the fairies," said the sea serpent demon as he grinned viciously, "we use the one we have as a hostage in order to allow us safe passage into Pixy Hollow."

"What a devilishly deviant idea," said Hook as he too smiled viciously, "force the little brats into destroying themselves, all to save the pathetic life of one of their own."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Captain," said Mr. Smee, "how do we know that the fairies would risk everything just to save just one?"

"Because that whole 'needs of the many outweigh the few' bull is just that," said the piranha demon, "bull. Humans would go to extreme lengths to save the life of an individual, even at the cost of several, and fairies are the same."

"Then that's what we'll do," said Hook, he then spoke to the Pirate Heartless at the helm "change course so we can rendezvous with the lesser demons!"

The Heartless helmsman nodded in acknowledgement and turned the ship.

"Soon, Peter Pan," said Hook to himself, "soon we'll finish this once and for all."

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you tell us you were so creative?" Sora asked Tink as they all continued across the island to Pixy Hollow. Tink had just told Sora and the others about all the various defensive gadgets she had created to defend the home of the fairies of Neverland, all of them out of random items that had washed ashore of the world from the other worlds, items known to the fairies as Lost Things.<p>

"She's a Macgyver," said Jacob.

"What's that?" Lyra asked.

"It means that Tinker Bell is very good at coming up with incredible things with the simplest of things," said Riku.

"Exactly," said Jacob.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Tink, "but let's just say I have a knack for Lost Things, and how they work. Ever since I came into being I've been inventing things that's helped all the fairies of Pixy Hollow in their work, all sorts of gadgets and gismos that help get the work done faster and better."

"Sounds cool," said Aiden, "I'd like to see some of these inventions of yours."

"I'd be happy to show them," said Tink.

Just then the sound of five girls screaming could be heard. Sora and the others saw five fairies flying out of the jungle.

The first of the five fairies had an Asian complexion with long black hair, brown eyes and wore a blue and white dress and blue shoes. She had an aura of a positive mind and a kind heart and the serenity of water.

The second fairy had an African American complexion with black hair tied back with an orange hair band and brown eyes. She wore a bright yellow and orange dress and yellow. She had the aura of a perfectionist who always looked on the bright side of life.

The third fairy had bright red hair and green eyes. She wore a stylish red and pink dress and pink shoes. She seemed to have an aura of someone full of advice and loved beauty for beauty's sake.

The fourth fairy had long brown hair in a single braid held back in a green hair band and brown eyes. She wore a brown shirt and short pants and brown shoes. She was a go-getter who loved adventure for adventures' sake.

The fifth fairy had long purple hair in a long ponytail and held in place with a purple hair band and gray eyes. She wore a purple tup and pants and shoes. She had an aura of passive-aggressiveness, with a touch of a superiority complex but balanced with a good heart.

"Tink!" exclaimed the blue-haired fairy, "thank goodness we've found you!"

"Silvermist," said Tink, "Rosetta," she looked at the red-haired fairy, then at the African American Fairy, "Iridessa," the brown-haired fairy, "Faun," then to the purple-haired fairy, "Vidia, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just awful!" said the red-haired fairy, speaking in a Southern Belle accent, "it's the worst thing that could ever happen!"

"Oh no!" said a shocked Tink, "what happened, Rosetta? Was it the demons; did they attack Pixy Hollow?"

"Huh, no," said the red-haired fairy, Rosetta, "not it's not that."

"It's worse," said the Africian American fairy.

"It's not Booble and Clank?" Tink asked, "are they alright, Iridessa?"

"They're fine," said Iridessa.

"And before you ask," said the brown-haired fairy, "everyone else back at Pixy Hollow is fine.

"That's a relief," said Tink, "but what happened? Faun, tell me."

"I…uh," said the brown-haired fairy, Faun, un an unsure tone, while the other fairies looked like they were holding back something terrible from their friend but didn't know how to tell it.

Tink then looked at the purple-haired fairy, "Vidia, tell me, please."

"We were looking for where the demons were hiding," said the purple-haired fairy, Vidia, "so that we would know ahead of time when they would try to attack Pixy Hollow again. We didn't find the demons, so we headed back for some more Pixy Dust. We meet Terence about halfway…and…" she looked like she was about to get to the worst part but just couldn't say it.

"Oh no," said a shocked Tink, "no, not Terence. Is he…?"

"He's not dead," said Faun, "at least we think he's still alive."

"We wound up running into the demons," said Iridessa, "and had to fly for our lives as they tried to get us. I managed to blind one of them."

"And I had several of them running in circles after me," said Vidia.

"But then the demons threw a net at us," said Rosetta, "Terence pushed us out of the way, but he got caught instead."

"We tried to save him," said Faun, "but the demons teleported away. We tried to find him, but there's no trace of them, anywhere."

Sora could tell that Tink was devastated by this.

"We'll find Terence, Tink," said Peter, "we all will," he looked at Sora and the others, "won't we, guys?"

"Of course we will," said Sora, "a friend of Tink is a friend of ours," he looked at Kairi, Riku and the others, "right?"

Kairi, Riku and the others all said "right!" and "of course!"

It was then that the five other fairies noticed Sora, "Oh," said Rosetta, "you're the human who helped Tink and Peter that one time."

"And you're that guy who wouldn't help Tink all those times she asked you for help," said Irridessa to Roxas in an accusing manner.

"I was under orders at the time," said Roxas in a matter of fact tone, "it's not that I didn't want to help, but I had missions to accomplish."

"Well, aren't you special," said Vidia in a sarcastic manner, "guess we can't count on you for help." she then saw Naminé, Kairi, Riku, Aiden, Tess,, Lyra, Pantalimon and Jacob, "and who are these people?"

"Can't you see they're Sora's friends?" Peter asked.

"That's right," said Sora. He introduced Kairi, Riku and the others.

"A word of warning about Jacob," said Aiden, "he can turn into a wolf."

"And this pine martin can talk," said Tess as she pointed to Pantalimon.

"Well you can turn invisible," said Pantalimon.

"Well aren't you all weird and interesting," said Vidia.

"Ignore her," said Faun, "she's got issues."

"I don't have issues," said Vidia in an insulted manner, "not any more," she then flew right up into Sora's face, "and just so you and all your friends know, I'm the fastest Fast-Flying fairy in all of Pixy Hollow."

"What does that mean?" Riku asked.

"It means, sweetie-pie," said Vidia as she smiled disarmingly, "I can do this!" she then blasted Riku with a huge gust of wind, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Different fairies have different magic," said Peter.

"Ain't that the truth," said Silvermist as she caused several drops of water to rise up out of a nearby puddle and circle around Aiden's head, while Iridessa focused a beam of gentle sunlight around Lyra and Rosetta caused a multi-colored flower to form from a tree, which floated down and landed in Kairi's hand, while Faun called a sparrow out of the air and it landed in front of Tess.

"So you each help out in nature," said Lyra, "incredible."

"Just as incredible as that strange clock you have," said Tink as she looked at Lyra's golden compass, "I can't figure out how it works. What is it?"

"It's not a clock," said Lyra, "it's the Alethiometer, and it tells the truth. You ask it any question and it will give the answer. The answers aren't always easy to understand, but they're always the truth."

"Can it find Terence?" Tink asked in a hopeful tone.

"I can certainly try," said Lyra. She turned the smaller hands on the Alethiometer to the desired symbols and went into her trance as the larger hand went around the 36 symbols. The big hand went around several times, stopping at one symbol, then another, until finally Lyra got the answer and she came out of her trance.

"He's being held by several lower demons on the other side of the island," she said, "and they're waiting for a pirate ship that's carrying their leaders."

"There's only one pirate ship in these parts," said Peter, "The _Jolly Rodger_, and wherever that ship goes, Hook is at the helm."

"And if Hook's teamed with the demons," said Roxas, "then things have gone from bad to worse.

Riku had then called Sidney on his cell phone, "Sidney, can you send us a complete map of the island?"

"I'm compiling the map as we speak," said Sidney, "just text '3301' up to me and I'll send you the map and an app in which to use it."

"Right," said Riku. He then text the number up to Sidney. A few seconds later the phone had downloaded a holographic projection app which showed a 3D image of the island.

"We're here," said Peter as he pointed to one spot on the map, "I've seen the island from the air enough times."

"The Alethiometer said that the demons are holding Terence near a large rock shaped like a skull," said Lyra.

"That's Skull Rock," said Tink.

"Then that's where we'll go," said Sora.

"Wait a second," said Aiden. He then grabbed Riku's phone, "hey, Sidney? Are there any apps that I can download?"

"None right now," said Sidney, "that map feature is the only one I have available. But I have several ringtones in my database for your listening pleasure. Just text '2301' to access the library."

Aiden texted on his phone to the computer and after browsing for ringtones, he selected one. Seconds later his phone rang to the Hannah Montana song 'Best of Both Worlds.'

"That is so awesome!" said Kairi as she and Sora pulled out their cell phones and downloaded Hannah Montana ring tones. Kairi had 'Pumping up the Party,' while Sora had 'Nobody's Perfect,' and Riku had just finished downloading 'I've got Nerve.'

"What fantastic human things," said an astonished Tink as she flew around everyone's cell phones.

"Oh, there she goes again," said Irridessa.

"Once Tinker Bell's seen a human thing," said Silvernmist, "there's hardly any stopping her."

"Tink, focus!" said Rosetta, "Terence, remember?"

"Or would you rather just let the demons have their way with your boyfriend?" Vidia asked.

"I…what?" Tink asked in a dumbfounded tone, "he's not my boyfriend? We're just…really good friends."

"Well your really good friend is at the not-so-tender mercy of those horrible things that want to destroy us all," said Iridessa.

"Right, let's go save Terence," said Tink.

"So just who is Terence?" Kairi asked.

"He's part of the group of fairies responsive for gathering Pixy Dust for all of us," said Faun, "without Pixy Dust, we wouldn't be able to fly outside of Pixy Hollow."

"And he's Tink's boyfriend," said Vidia in a teasing manner.

"We're just friends!" said Tink in an insisting manner, while her face blushed bright red.

"Sure you are," teased Faun, while the other fairies giggled.

"Just chill, Tink," said Sora, "leave everything to my friends and I."

"Yeah," said Aiden, "we'll take care of everything."

"Demon-slaying time!" said an eager Tess. She then blinked as she remembered something important, "oh, wait," she pulled out her gold key, "has anyone seen something like this?"

"Or this?" said Kairi as she pulled out her gold key, while Aiden held out his.

Tink and the other fairies looked at the gold keys closely, "um…no," said Rosetta, "can't say that I have."

"They're beautiful," said Faun, "but we've never seen anything like them in Neverland."

"Or on the mainland," said Iridessa, "the human world."

"I've never seen anything like them in the Lost Things," said Tink.

"Maybe there isn't one on this world," said Aiden as he, Kairi and Tess pocketed their keys.

"Maybe," said Tink, "but then, Lost Things wash ashore all the time. Maybe it'll turn up while you're here."

"And we can always look for it," said Peter, "it could be up in a tree somewhere."

"We don't have time to look up every single tree in the world," said Tess, "we've got demons to slay!"

"Then let's get going already!" said Aiden, "Skull Rock, here we come!"

* * *

><p>"We'll be arriving at Skull Rock in a few minutes, captain," said Mr. Smee.<p>

"Outstanding," said Hook, "we're that much closer to finishing that blasted Peter Pan once and for all!"

"How fascinating it is," said the piranha demon, "the human obsession with revenge."

"The length a man would go to pursue that revenge," said the hammerhead demon, "even if it leads to his own annihilation."

"Captain Ahab has to go hunt his wale," said the sea serpent demon.

"Oh shut up!" said Hook, "this is my business, my revenge. You're just here to ruin nature for the worlds, which I could care less what happens. You just get ready to destroy Pixy Hollow, and I'll focus on Peter Pan."

"That we'll do," said the sea serpent demon, "that we'll do."

A few minutes later the ship dropped anchor off of Skull Rock. Mr. Smee rowed Hook and the three demons ashore were several Pirate type Heartless, as well as Air Battler types, and three lower demons that had eyestalks and crab claws for hands, were gathered inside the huge skull-like outcropping.

"Where is the prisoner?" the hammerhead demon asked.

"Right here, boss," said one of the crab demons. Right in the middle of the cavern of the skull cave was a small cage in which a male fairy; blond wearing a yellow shirt with a tan vest and pants, sat glaring angrily at his captors.

"Hmmm," said Hook as he looked down at the caged captive, "I honestly had no idea that there were boy fairies."

"Oh they come as boys and girls," said the piranha demon, "and as it turns out, this particular fairy is of the class that is responsible for the cultivation of Pixy Dust."

"Is that so?" Hook asked.

"We've interrogated the little pest," said another of the crab demons, "this one happens to have a relationship with the fairy that hangs around with Peter Pan."

"Can this be?" Hook asked in a delighted tone, as if Christmas had come early, "we have the love of that wretched Tinker Bell in captivity?"

At that the fairy in the cage, Terence, angrily shouted at Hook and the demons to leave Tink alone, but all the baddies heard were bell jingling.

"I think you've struck a nerve, captain," said Mr. Smee.

"That I have, Smee," said Hook in a smug tone, "that I have," he glared down at Terence, "I cannot wait for your girlfriend to show up, just so we can capture her and end all of you wretches fairies once and for all."

At that Terence shouted up at Hook, "you'll never destroy us fairies! We're responsible for the balance and changing of the seasons. And Tink isn't my girlfriend! We're just friends!"

"Did any of you understand any of that?" Hook asked the demons, "I certainly didn't."

"I believe the little vermin was being defiant about his species impeding extinction," said the sea serpent demon, "and then he was defiant about you hurting his girlfriend. I could be wrong about that, my skills in other languages are lacking."

"Look who needs a life now," mocked the hammerhead demon.

"I'll pay you back for that later," said the sea serpent demon in an annoyed tone.

Just then the sound of two wolves howling in the distance could be heard inside the skull cave.

"What's that?" said a very nervous Hook, "Smee? What is that sound?" he asked as he cowered behind his subordinate, "is it the croc?"

"I don't think it's the croc, captain," said Mr. Smee, "in fact, I don't know what it is."

"Haven't you ever heard a wolf howl before?" the piranha demon asked.

"A wolf?" Hook asked as he began to calm down, "oh yes, it is a wolf."

"Two wolves actually, captain," said Mr. Smee, 'but it is strange. There really aren't any wolves in Neverland, none that we've seen anyway."

Just then a third wolf howl was heard, followed by another from the first two. The three wolves then howled together, then things were quiet for a while.

"That was definitely odd," said the piranha demon.

* * *

><p>Just as our heroes were trekking across the island to Skull Rock, they stopped as they heard two wolves howling. "I didn't know there were wolves here," said Sora.<p>

"There isn't any," said Peter, "not that I've ever seen."

"There aren't any wolves," said Faun, "hawks and other birds of prey, but no wolves."

Sora and the others then noticed that Jacob had tensed as he listened to the wolf howls face out, "I know those howls!" he exclaimed. Jacob then phased into wolf mode, not caring that he destroyed his clothes. Jacob then howled long and loud.

"What's he doing?" Tess asked as Jacob finished howling.

As Jacob's howl echoed across the island, it was answered by two more wolf howls. Jacob and the two other wolves then howled together. Jacob's tail shook with excitement and he ran off into the trees like a bolt of lightning.

"That was…weird," said a shocked Iridessa.

"Did that guy just turn into a wolf?" Silvermist asked while the other fairies hovered in the air with dumbfounded expressions.

"We warned you that Jacob could do that," said Lyra as she and the others began to go after Jacob, "what, did you think we were lying?"

"No," said Vidia sarcastically, "we totally believed you."

"Well, we believe you now," said Tink.

"Gee, thanks," said Aiden.

They caught up with him about a mile away in a clearing, where Jacob was happily running around with two more huge wolves.

"They must be members of his pack," said Kairi, "we've found two of them.

"Pan," said Lyra to her daemon, "you can understand Jacob when he's a wolf; what are they saying?"

"The new wolves _are _part of Jacob's pack," said Pantalimon, "the slightly larger one is called Quill, the other is Embry. Jacob's expressing how happy he is to see them, who happen to be his friends from before they became shape shifters. They're telling Jacob that they've arrived on this world about an hour ago."

"That can't be right," said Aiden, "Jacob said he and Nessie got blasted out of their universe and into this one several days ago."

"And that Jacob's pack and Nessie's family were blasted with them," said Tess, "that's what we found out in that artificial dream from that Ryuzaki guy."

"Well that's what the two other wolves are saying," said Faun, "Jacob's telling the other two that he got to this universe a few days ago. They're finding it hard to believe, but they believe him now."

"That doesn't make sense," said Tess, "how can Jacob be here several days ago, but his friends only got here just now?"

"The only thing I've got to explain this is Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey," said Kairi.

"That's your explanation for everything," said Aiden.

"Well it helps make things sense," said Kairi.

"How much longer are you going to use that?" Riku asked, "it's starting to get a little annoying?"

"As often as I can," said a grinning Kairi.

"Oh wait," said Faun, "Quill and Embry, they're telling Jacob that they can't phase back into humans."

"What?" Sora and the others exclaimed.

"That's what they're saying," said Pantalimon, "they've been trying to phase back since they arrived in this world, but they just can't. Jacob's asking why they can't. He's really upset about it."

"Well of course he's upset!" said Riku, "if I could turn into a wolf or any kind of animal, which is cool in its own right, and I couldn't change back, I'd be upset."

"How could they be stuck in wolf form?" Sora asked, "I thought that it was in their blood to turn into wolves and back into humans at will."

"I think it may have something to their being blasted," said Kairi, "maybe because they were wolves at the time when Gideon blasted Jacob, Nessie and the others, maybe the curse that sent them here not only sent them here, arriving at a different time, but also locking them in wolf mode."

Just then Jacob phased back into human form, "that makes sense," said Jacob, "Quill and Embry have tried to change back ever since they've gotten here, and it's really freaking them out that they're stuck. So, any ideas on how to fix this? 'Cause I've got nothing right now."

"I've got an idea," said Aiden, "how about putting some clothes on."

Riku then dialed up to the Intrepid Heart, "Sidney, can you beam down some of Jacob's clothes?"

"He went wolf without taking his clothes off again?" Sidney asked. She sighed, "I'll send them down right now." Almost instantly, a set of Jacob's clothes beamed down next to him.

"Thanks, Sidney," said Riku.

"I aim to please," said Sidney.

"I asked how we can fix this?" Jacob asked as he got dressed, "these guys have been my friends before we started turning into wolves," he indicated Quill and Embry, who were sitting on their haunches, looking very frustrated at not being able to turn back into humans.

"I'm their pack leader," said Jacob, "I'm responsible for their wellbeing, but I don't know how to help them."

"Just calm down, man," said Aiden, "we'll figure out something."

"I don't want to calm down!" said a frantic Jacob, "my friends are in trouble and I don't know how to help them!"

"You said that already," said Sora, "trust me, Jacob, we're going to fix this somehow."

"Then how are you guys going to fix it?" Jacob asked

"We'll think of something," said Riku.

"But right now we have to save Tink's boyfriend," said Kairi as she gave Tinker Bell a knowing look.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Tink insisted as she blushed bright red again, "Terence and I are just friends."

"What about my friends!" Jacob exclaimed, "the ones who can't change back into human? What about them!"

"We don't know!" snapped Aiden, "we just don't know. Now shut your trap and give us a chance to think, for the love of the gods."

"We're not miracle workers," said Riku, "if we're going to help your friends, Jacob, we'll need time to figure out exactly what happened to them."

"We only have a theory of what happened to them," said Kairi, "with no way to prove it right now, so all we can do is solve the problems we can at hand, then worry about everything else when we have time."

"We will help Quill and Embry," said Tess, "Just as soon as we figure out how to help them."

At that Jacob began to calm down, "alright, but just help them when you can help them."

"It's on our 'to do' list," said Kairi.

"Alright," said Jacob, "I'll let Quill and Embry what you just said. They're still freaked out about being stuck."

"They heard every word," said Pantalimon, "and they're starting to calm down."

"That's good," said Jacob, "normally I'd need to make the pack calm down if they're all upset."

"Oh, that's right," said Aiden, "you told us that the alpha of the pack can take control of the pack if necessary. So, we're all okay with this for now? That we'll fix Quill and Embry when we figure out what to do?"

"I've got no problem with this," said Lyra, while Sora, Riku, Kairi and the others also stated that they were alright with the situation.

"Any chance you can ask that gold compass of yours what the enemy is planning?" Jacob asked Lyra.

"It couldn't hurt to try," said Lyra as she sat down and asked the Alethiometer. A minute or so later she had her answer. "There's several demons already at the rock, with Hook also there. They're preparing for multiple approaches, from the air and from the sea."

"They'll be ready if we try to attack from the water or from above," said Riku.

"Which means that no matter what we try," said Kairi, "they'll see us coming."

"And knowing Hook," said Peter, "he'll be ready to blast us out of the water and the air."

"How are we going to save Terence if we can't swim or fly?" Tink asked.

"Uh, Tink," said Rosetta, "fairies don't swim."

"We can't fly is our wings are wet," said Silvermist to Sora and the others.

"Oh," said Sora, "I didn't know that."

"How are we going to do this?" Kairi asked, "if they've got eyes watching the water and the skies, it kinda narrows our options."

"Isn't it obvious?" Peter asked as he did the backstroke in the air, "if they'll see us from above, then we attack from below."

"What does that mean?" Tess asked.

"We attack from below, of course!" said Aiden in an excited tone, "below!"

"What are you talking about?" Tink asked, "wait…below! Yes! Below!"

"Can someone fill in the rest of us who have no idea what you're talking about," said Jacob.

"I think I get it now," said Kairi, "below."

"Below," said Sora.

"Below," said Riku.

"Below," said both Roxas and Naminé.

"Below," said Lyra and Pantalimon.

"I still don't get it," said Tess.

"Just think about it," said Riku, "when you can't attack by sea or air, what's left."

"Land of course," said Tess, "but the enemy is on an island, so…"

"And island where the water isn't all that deep," said Roxas.

"Oh," said Tess, "now I get it, below."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob asked, while Quill and Embry also looked worried.

"I'll tell you as we go along," said Aiden, "I've got a lot of transmutations ahead of me today."

* * *

><p>"We're completing the trap as we speak," said the piranha demon, "we have the water around the rock mined up to 100 yards away in all directions. These mines are located at varying depths, so the fools won't be able to attack on or beneath the waves."<p>

Out on the water surrounding Skull Rock were hundreds of Heartless that were like sea mines, colored black and red.

"And we have cannons and snipers waiting for an aerial attack," said the hammerhead demon, "so even if they all have been doused in Pixy Dust, they'll be blown out of the skies."

Around the island's skull face and openings were several cannon Heartless, while several Pirate Heartless held flint-lock riffles, while the air around the island was full of Air Pirates and Air Battlers and other swarms of flying Heartless.

"Is this to your satisfaction?" the sea serpent demon asked Hook.

"Absolutely," said an impressed Hook as he eagerly wrung his hands in anticipation, "this time, this time that blasted Peter pan and those wretched Keyblade brats won't know what hit them!"

"Uh, captain?" said Mr. Smee, "what happens if the brats see all that we've done to get ready for them?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hook asked.

"Oh," said the piranha demon in a tone that said he realized that he and his comrades had made a tactical error.

"We forgot to include stealth into our planning," said the hammerhead demon.

"The fools, fools they may be," said the sea serpent demon, "they'll see our defenses from a long way away."

"Well that's just fine and dandy," said an irate Hook, "how are we supposed to blast the brats into oblivion if they see their impending doom coming and avoid it?"

"I don't know," said the sea serpent, "we'll have to reevaluate our strategy."

"And soon," said the piranha demon.

"It doesn't matter what you jerks plan!" said Terence, "when Tink and the others show up, they're going to clean all of your clocks!"

"What's that blasted pest jingling about?" Hook asked.

"I believe he's warning us that his companions are going to make us suffer," said the hammerhead demon. At that the demons and Hook laughed viciously.

But then the sound of a ticking clock could be heard again.

"Just when are you going to get a proper ring tone for your phone?" the sea serpent demon said to the hammerhead demon.

"It's not my phone," said the hammerhead demon, "or my PDA."

Just then Mr. Smee saw something floating in the water just outside the range of the minefield, something that was big, green and had lots of sharp teeth.

"Uh, captain?" said a nervous Mr. Smee, "I think we have a problem."

"What is it, Smee?" Hook asked as he looked out onto the water and saw…

"Oh no! It's the croc! It's here for real! He's here for the rest of me!"

Indeed the crocodile, who had eaten Hook's hand and had taken a like to the taste, was floating in the water outside the minefield, as if waiting for something, as if waiting for an opening in the minefield, or for Hook to come out from Skull Rock.

"It's just a lizard," said the piranha demon, "an overgrown newt."

"It's actually a reptile," said the sea serpent demon, "but it's still just an animal."

"That's no ordinary animal," said Mr. Smee, "this animal has it out for the captain."

"Well whatever history you and that lizard have, Hook," said the piranha demon, "you can relax. There's no way that leather hoard out there can get past our defenses."

"Huh?" Hook asked as he began to calm down, "oh, that's right. We are protected." he leaned out of one of the openings of the skull cave and shook his fist defiantly at the croc, "just try and eat me, you mangy purse and boots! Just try and get here!"

The croc merely sat there water, glaring up at Hook with hungry eyes, yet also saying that he was willing to wait as long as it took, just so he could eat Hook.

"I can outwait you, you water-logged iguana!" shouted Hook, "we'll see who rusts first!"

"Uh, captain?" said Mr. Smee, "we don't have much in the ways of supplies here. The crock may just be able to outwait us."

"What!" exclaimed Hook.

"Oh for crying out loud," muttered the sea serpent demon, "I'm starting to think that teaming up with this idiot wasn't such a good idea."

"You're only realizing it now?" the piranha demon asked.

"If you have to complain," said the hammerhead demon, "talk to Mr. Graves when we get back to New Hollow Bastion."

"I'll do that," said the sea serpent demon.

"Okay, then, Mr. Smee," said Hook hesitantly, "what now?"

"You could always get the lizard to try and attack you," said the hammerhead demon in a mocking manner, "and get it to destroy itself in the process."

"That's not a bad idea, captain," said Mr. Smee.

"You know," said the Piranha demon, "that might just work. If the mines don't dismember the beast, then the cannons and snipers would."

"Then that's what I'll do!" said Hook. He then leaned out of the cave opening and shook his one hand defiantly at the croc, "Just try and get me, you revolting reptile!"

But the croc just sat there in the water, glaring up at Hook, as if daring him to come down and face the croc himself.

"I don't think he's coming here, captain," said Mr. Smee.

Just then the cave floor shook violently, then stopped.

"Now what?" the sea serpent demon asked. The skull cave then shook again for a second, then stopped.

"Is this world prone to earthquakes?" the hammerhead demon asked.

"Not that I am aware of," said a nervous Hook as he glanced up at the cave ceiling, "what if the ceiling collapses, Mr. Smee?"

"I'd say we'd be buried alive, captain," said Mr. Smee, "if we're not instantly crushed to jelly first."

"I don't want to be buried alive!" said a now terrified Hook as the cave shook yet again, only this time the shaking was much stronger, as if the source of the quake was closer, "or crushed to jelly! I'd rather take me chances with the croc!"

Just then the entire island of Skull Rock shook as a sphere of yellow light about 15ft in diameter appeared in the cave floor. The light faded as the shaking stopped, revealing a large hole where the light was.

From that hole emerged Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Donald, Goofy, Lyra, Pantalimon, Jacob, Quill, Embry, Peter, Tink, Silvermist, Vidia, Rosetta, Iridessa and Faun.

"Transmuting a tunnel under the water and up into the cave," said Tess to Aiden, "wickedly awesome."

"I'd say my best idea yet," said Aiden, "but that's just my opinion."

"Tink!" shouted Terence.

"Terence!" shouted Tink.

"We'll have you out of there in no time," said Peter.

"Don't rush yourself," said Terence, "I'm in no hurry."

"What are you blasted brats doing here?" Hook demanded.

"Isn't it obvious, you old codfish?" Peter asked, "we're here to stop you and your fiendish friends."

"Well isn't this a fine mess we're all in," said the sea serpent demon as he and his demonic comrades glared at Sora and the other heroes, "here you brats circumvent all our carefully laden plans to destroy you."

"What can I say?" Sora asked, "we're the good guys."

"There's just no respect for decent villainy any more," said the piranha demon.

"You start respecting human rights and the lives of innocent people," said an irate Riku, "and we'll start respecting you!"

"Don't play games with us, boy," said the sea serpent demon, "I happen to get plenty of weird things for free in my breakfast cereal."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tess asked, "oh, never mind, let's just do this."

"That's my line," said Aiden as he rubbed his wrists, "don't try to copy me. Alright! Let's do this!"

Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tes held up their right wrists, with the special watches that Tron made for them facing outward. The five of them then pressed the red buttons on their watches, all of them shouting "_Henshin_!"

With different color flashes, the five Keyblade Wielders were encased in their own armor, designed by Tron as well. Sora's was red, Kairi's was blue, Aiden's was yellow, Tess's was green and Riku's was black.

"Swoggle me eyes!" exclaimed Hook, "that brat Sora couldn't do that before!"

"I've changed a lot since we fought that one time, Hook," said Sora.

"What a pity you won't be able to fight him again!" said the sea serpent demon. He and the other demons then called in all the Pirate and Air Master-type heartless, as well as several other types of Heartless.

"Oh this is not good," said Faun as she, Irridessa, Silvermist, Faun, Vidia and Tin clustered together.

"Gee, what makes you think that?" Vidia asked sarcastically, "the demons or the hordes of Heartless."

"Sora," said Jacob as he threw his clothes off, "you and the others take care of the Heartless. We'll take care of the demons." At that Quill and Embry growled in agreement.

"You, take care of us?" the sea serpent demon mocked, "I think you're more full of yourself that you realize."

"A mere human," laughed the piranha demon, "this has got to be a joke."

"The joke's on you, fish face!" shouted Jacob. With that he phased into wolf mode and growled menacingly at the demons.

"The shape shifter," said the sea serpent demon, "well, isn't this a surprise." He didn't get a chance to say anything else, for Jacob rushed at him, while Quill attacked the hammerhead demon and Embry took the piranha demon.

At the same time Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess attacked the assembled Heartless.

"Hey!" shouted Hook, "what about me?"

"You're all mine, codfish!" shouted Peter as he flew at Hook, who hastily drew his cutlass and the two of them dueled.

Amid all the confusion of the battle, Tink and her friends were just trying to avoid getting hurt. They flew around one Heartless after another, dodging an enemy attack here, then dodging either a Keyblade attack, snapping wolf teeth or a sword blade. Yet Tink was intent on reaching the area of the cave were Terence was still locked up.

But dozens of Heartless and the crab demons stood in their way.

"We can't get to him, Tink," said Irridessa as the fairies took refuge next to a rock that was close to a larger rock, providing some cover against the enemy, "if we try to fly over there we'll be sliced to ribbons!"

"We have to try," insisted Tink, "we can't just leave Terence there!"

"Why not?" Faun asked, "He's in a cage, which right now seems safer than anything else in this battle." The fairies then ducked as a Pirate-type Heartless fighting Aiden, nearly stepped on the rock hiding them. Aiden then destroyed the creature and moved onto another Heartless.

"I have to help him," said Tink, "I have to help Terence."

"Why do you have to if he's not your boyfriend?" Vidia asked. The fairies then ducked again as Jacob and the sea serpent demon grappled and nearly rolled over their hiding place, before carrying their fight elsewhere.

"Can't Peter help us?" Silvermist asked.

"I think Peter has his hand full right now," said Rosetta as she pointed to one side of the cave, where Peter and Hook were still fighting.

Just then two Pirate Heartless had found where Tink and the other fairies were hiding. One of the creatures kicked aside the rock they were hiding, while the other raised it's blade for a killing blow.

But then Lyra and Pantalimon rushed in and destroyed the two Heartless, "need any help?" Lyra asked.

"Just say the word and we'll deliver," said Pantalimon.

"We have to get over there!" said Tink as she pointed to the far side of the cave.

"Easily done," said Lyra. With her sword and Pantalimon's teeth and claws, the two of them quickly cleared a path through the Heartless for Tink and her friends. She then drew the attention of the crab demons.

"Did you know that I spent weeks serving on a gyptian boat?" Lyra asked the crab demons, "that I helped fish for crabs?"

"We didn't do that?" Pantalimon said in a hushed tone, "not crab fishing anyway."

"I know," said Lyra in a hushed tone, "but they don't know it." Lyra then glared at the demons, "that's right, I eat fiends like you for breakfast."

"Get her!" shouted one of the crab demons, in which the three of them rushed at Lyra. She and Pantalimon fought the creatures, while Tink and her friends reached the cage.

"Terence!" shouted Tink as she tried to unlock the cage, "did they hurt you at all?"

"I'm alright, Tink," said Terence, "they surprised me, that's all."

"Well we'll just have to go without surprises for a while," said Tink as she struggled to unlock the cage, "just enjoy some quiet time."

"Just the two of us," said Terence.

"Exactly," said Tink.

'So you are boyfriend and girlfriend," said Vidia, "I knew it."

At that Tink shouted "He's not my boyfriend!" while Terence shouted "She's not my girlfriend!" both of them blushed heavily.

"Let's worry about who's what later," said Faun, "and focus on getting out of here."

"Hopefully without getting crushed," said Rosetta as they all ducked from one of the crab demons as it was thrown across the cave by a particular strong sword attack from Lyra.

Finally Tink had the cage unlocked. Terence busted out and the fairies all tried to fly back to the tunnel that Aiden made. But there were still a lot of Heartless running around the area.

But then Roxas burst out of the tunnel, "I can't believe I got lost down there!" he shouted as he summoned his Keyblades and began hacking the baddies apart.

"I knew I shouldn't have turned left at that underground cave system," said Aiden as he and Tess finished off a pair of Air Masters, "I had to turn around from there and start the tunnel in a different direction."

Naminé then got out of the tunnel, "remind me to ask Sidney to get a GPS feature for everyone's phones."

"But we don't have satellites for GPS," said Kairi as she bisected a Pirate from top to bottom.

"I'm sure Sidney can work something out if we ask her nicely," said Naminé. She then dodged a claw swipe from a crab demon. She retaliated by blasting it with a Blizzaga spell, followed by a Thundaga spell, "guess what I picked up from Hecate's spell book!" she shouted. She then incinerated a diving Air Pirate with a Friaga spell, then impaled another through its neck with an ice spear.

With Roxas and Naminé helping, the area was soon cleared of Heartless, but Jacob and his pack still fought the three big demons, while Peter still dueled Hook, and it looked like Peter was completely dominating the fight.

"Why won't you lose!" Hook shouted as Peter forced him towards one of the openings in the cave. "Why can't I destroy you, you blasted boy!"

"Because I'm the good guy," said Peter as he playfully flew behind Hook, forcing him to turn around, while facing the cave opening, "and you're the bad guy," he then got behind Hook again and jabbed his knife into Hook's rump, causing Hook to cry out in pain and accidentally fall out of the cave opening, "and the bad guy always loses to the good guy."

Hook fell onto one of the Heartless mines. It detonated, blasting Hook into the air. He was merely singed, but he wound up landing on the edge of the minefield, right in front of the croc, whom eagerly licked his chops.

Screaming in terror, Hook tried to swim back to the rock, with the croc giving chase. The two of them entered the minefield, each setting one of the Heartless mines. They both got blasted into the air and wound up coming down onto another mine and got blasted into the air again, and again and again and again.

The multiple detonations caused everyone inside the rock to stop fighting and look out and watch Hook and the croc keep getting blasted.

"Oh, that poor crocodile," said Faun.

"He's fine," said Vidia, "it's that pirate who's in trouble."

"Oh dear," said Mr. Smee, "the captain's in a world of hurt right now."

"Don't just stand there, Smee!" shouted Hook as he landed on another mine and got blasted, "help me!"

"It'd be wrong to let them both suffer like that," said Kairi.

"Yeah," said Riku, "but, they're bound to run out of mines soon enough."

"Not soon enough," said Aiden, "I got this," he aimed his Keyblade at the minefield and transmuted the explosive Heartless and disabled their detonators, rendering them harmless.

Hook and the croc landed in the water and took a few seconds to recover. But then as they got their breath back, Hook ran atop the water for his life as the croc chased after him.

"Mr. Smee!" shouted Hook, "get the ship ready!"

"Aye-aye, captain!" shouted Mr. Smee. He directed the remaining Pirate Heartless to follow him to the rowboat and they pulled for the _Jolly Rodger_, while Hook ran out towards the ship with the croc right behind him.

"There goes our partnership on this world," said the hammerhead demon as they watched Hook reach the ship just after Mr. Smee got their. Hook got aboard the ship as the anchor was hoisted and the sails unfurled. With the croc still behind them, the ship headed out to sea.

"Mr. Graves isn't going to like this," said the piranha demon.

"But we still have an opportunity to please Mr. Graves," said the sea serpent demon as he looked at Kairi, "the girl that Mr. Graves desires is here."

"Over my dead body!" snapped Sora as he, Riku, Aiden and Tess got around Kairi with their Keyblades raised.

"I was hoping you'd say that, brat," said the sea serpent demon as the two other demons stood to either side of him, "by coming here, Keyblade Wielder, you've signed your own death warrants!"

"You're not the first baddies who thinks they can beat us!" said Aiden.

"But we can defeat you!" said the hammerhead demon.

"And we will!" said the piranha demon.

With that the three demons merged into…something else. At first it was just a huge black blob of seething flesh, limbs and distorted facial features. But then the mass solidified into a chimerical demon with ten legs that ended in razor-sharp points. The creature had three heads. Two were up front and were the faces of the hammerhead and the piranha demons. The face of the sea serpent demon was on the tail which was that of a sea snake.

"How do you like us now?" the three demons asked in one voice.

"I think you demons have sick imaginations," said Tess.

"Then you're a fool!" shouted the chimerical demon, "What can you do against us?"

"This," said Tess as she went invisible, while Riku, Aiden and Sora attacked the chimerical demon head on. At the same time Jacob and his pack ran to the side for a flanking attack, while Donald, Goofy, Lyra and Pantalimon stayed with Kairi.

Sora blasted the chimerical demon with a Fireball attack, but it blocked the spell with a blast of water from the hammerhead head. The piranha head then spat a bolt of lightning at Sora.

He dodged it only to jump out of the way of a flamethrower attack from the sea serpent head.

Riku ran up to the creature's legs in order to cut one of them off, but his Keyblade merely scratched it. He then rolled out of the way as one of the legs tried to impale him with it's razor-sharp point.

Aiden tried to transmute the ground beneath the creature into spikes, but the creature's body was like armor. Aiden then got out of the way as the creature shot both ice and lightning attacks at him.

"It's useless to fight us!" said the chimerical demon, "we cannot be defeated!"

The sea serpent tail then shook violently, as if something was on it. It convulsed and threw something against the wall, something that turned out to be Tess. She became visible as she hit the wall.

"Well, that sucked," said Tess as she slid to the ground.

Riku ran over and helped her up, "what happened?" he asked.

"I was trying to go for it's eyes," said Tess, "but that didn't work out."

"But the eyes might just be it's weak spot," said Riku, "we just have to get to it," he then looked for Sora, who was with Aiden, Jacob, Quill and Embry as they tried to attack the creature from different sides, "Sora! Go for the eyes!"

"Right!" said Sora. He then threw a Strike Raid at the eyes of the hammerhead. The Keyblade hit and destroyed one of the eyes, causing all three heads to roar in agony. It thrashed around wildly, randomly lashing out. It was all our heroes could do to avoid getting blasted or impaled.

But then one of the razor-tipped legs stabbed Aiden in the legs. His armor protected him from the worst of the damage, but he was scratched pretty bad.

"This thing is seriously pissing me off!" shouted Aiden as he aimed his Keyblade to the air above the chimerical demon, transmuting it into explosive gas, "somebody send a spark over!"

"Rodger!" shouted Donald as he sent a Fireball at the cloud of gas, igniting it. The blinding flash and concussive blast forced our heroes off balance, while the fairies took cover behind rocks. The blast shook the entire cavern and dislodged several stalactites, threatening to bring the entire chamber down. But the shaking stopped and Sora and the others recovered from their disorientation. They saw that the explosion had top of the chimerical demon.

Riku then blasted the hammerhead head with his Dark Aura, destroying one of its eyes, while Sora threw a Strike Raid at the sea serpent head, destroying another eye of the creature.

"You're only making things worse for yourselves!" shouted the chimerical demon. It then released a massive pulse of dark magic from its entire body, forcing everyone back from it.

"You'll all suffer for this!" shouted the creature. It then rushed at Kairi, knocking Sora and Aiden out of its way.

The creature then shot a blast of fire, thunder and ice at Donald, Goofy and Lyra. Donald countered the thunder attack with an thunder attack of his own, while Goofy blocked the fireball and Lyra blocked the ice attack with her sword.

But then the demon charged through them and tried to grab Kairi with its hammerhead head.

Kairi jumped out of the way, only to get ensnared by the sea serpent tail.

"You're coming with us to Mr. Graves!" shouted the triple-headed demon.

"I don't think so, you creep!" shouted Kairi as she tried to stab the sea serpent head's last eye, but she kept missing, her Keyblade hitting only the armor-like skin of the creature.

"Let her go!" shouted Sora as he rushed at the demon but it knocked him with one of its legs, sending him in an out of control roll towards the wall of the cave, slamming to a stop against the hard rock.

"No!" shouted Kairi as she continued to bash her Keyblade at the sea serpent tail, but to no avail.

"She belongs to Mr. Graves!" said the demon, "and there's nothing you brats can do to stop us from taking her to him!"

"I beg to differ!" said Roxas as he rushed at the demon with his two Keyblades ready to eviscerate the creature. Riku then maneuvered and ran at the chimerical demon from behind, with Lyra trying to attack from the left. Donald provided cover with Thunder, Ice and Fire spells.

The demon knocked first Roxas, then Riku and Lyra back with it's legs, then sent out more spells from the Piranha mouth, forcing Donald to back away and take cover.

Just then Jacob leapt at the piranha head, his powerful jaws biting out its last eye. The creature thrashed about in agony, but it still held onto Kairi with its sea serpent tail.

Sora then got up, "Kairi!" he shouted, "I'm alright!"

"I never doubted for a second, you lazy bum!" said Kairi. She then threw a Strike Raid at the last of the sea serpent's eyes. It missed, but then the spinning Keyblade hit it on the return trip to Kairi's hand.

Yet the creature refused to let go of her. It thrashed about and sent out another massive pulse of dark magic that knocked everyone back.

"You insolent mortals will pay for this!" shouted the creature as it tightened its grip on Kairi. With only one eye left in the head of the hammerhead, it summoned a huge Dark Corridor, "after we deliver Mr. Gideon his package."

"No!" shouted Sora as he ran at the demon, but it just kicked him away.

Just then there was the sound of a roster crowing, and Peter dove from the cave ceiling and stabbed the hammerhead in its remaining eye.

Now completely blind, the demon went completely berserk. It trashed about more violently as it lost control over the Dark Corridor, which collapsed in on itself and vanished. The demon finally released Kairi. She fell to the ground and Sora grabbed her and pulled her out of the way.

Just then Lyra ran forward with her Alethiometer held up, "there's a weakness in its armor!" she shouted, "there's a soft spot in its underbelly!'

"Great," said Tess, "how are we going to hit the underbelly?"

"Like this!" said Riku as he ran headlong at the demon and slid underneath it. He then saw a very small spot un the underbelly that was soft and he stabbed it with his Keyblade.

The creature roared in agony as Riku got out of the way of it's thrashing body. As it lashed out blindly, Sora and the others saw that the weak spot had expanded, forming cracks along the armor-like skin of the demon.

Sora, Aiden and Tess then ran at the demon and the three of them in turn stabbed the demon in the weak spot, each attack enlarging the weak spot.

Roxas then ran at the demon and delivered two strikes, then ran back just far enough for Lyra to jump on his shoulders and leap at the demon

At the same time Jacob, Quill and Embry went for the legs again. They finally managed to bite through enough legs to force the monster onto its back, leaving the weak spot open to attack as Lyra came down and stabbed it again. The demon was left jerking around on its back.

Kairi then walked up to the crippled demon, "This is what I think of Gideon!" snapped Kairi as she stabbed the weak spot, "he can rot in hell forever!"

The massive amounts of damage caused the demon to dissolve into green slime, which soon dissolved into nothing.

"And that's how we deal with Villains," said Kairi as she and the other Keyblade Wielders deactivated their armor.

"Is everyone alright?" Sora asked, "anyone hurt?"

"Nothing hurt but my pride," said Tess.

"I'm fine," said Aiden as he held his scratched leg, which was more than scratched.

"I got it," said Kairi as she used her healing magic to clean and close the wound. Within seconds Aiden's leg was completely alright.

"I'm alright," said Riku, "and guess what I found?" he held up a gold key similar to the ones our heroes have found so far.

"Where was it?" Sora asked as he and the others gathered around Riku.

"It was under a rock," said Riku as he pulled out a string and threaded the key onto it and placed it around his neck.

"Well now we have four," said Aiden as he, Kairi and Tess held up their keys.

"And we've gotten rid of more of Gideon's goons," said Jacob after he phased and got dressed.

"Yeah, but now we have another problem to solve," said Riku, "how to fix your friends."

"You do know what this means," said Aiden, "we're going to have to take them with us and look for a means to cure them."

"Then you're leaving already?" Peter asked, "just when things were starting to get fun?"

"You call this fun?" Tess asked, "I call it insanity, but that's just my opinion."

"We'll come back when things calm down, Peter," said Sora, "but right now, my friends and I have to keep moving."

"You saw how desperate that monster was out to get me," said Kairi, "if we stay here, it's only a matter of time before the baddies send another bunch of demons."

"Well, if you have to go," said Peter, "just remember that as long as you have fun, it is fun."

"What does that mean?" Aiden asked, "oh, never mind, we'll figure it out later."

Just then Tink flew over to Sora and the others, "I can't thank you guys enough for helping me and my friends. If you ever need my help, you know what to do."

"I'll keep the summoning spell at the front of my mind," said Sora.

"You and your friends take care of yourselves," said Kairi, "especially you and Terence, Tink, especially now that you're boyfriend and girlfriend."

"We're not…!" shouted both Tink and Terence.

"Oh yes you are," Vidia interrupted, while the other fairies giggled, "you don't go through a horrific experience like this without getting closer."

At that both Tink and Terence blushed, but they both held hands and smiled at each other.

"Glad that worked out," said Riku as he pulled out his cell phone, "Sidney, we're ready to come up. And we have two others with us."

"New heroes?" Sidney asked.

"You could say that," said Jacob after he phased back into human mode and got dressed, while Quill and Embry nodded in agreement.

"We'll see you later, Peter," said Sora. A few seconds later he and the others beamed back aboard _The Intrepid Heart_.

"Well that was weird," said Iridessa as the fairies and Peter flew out of the cave. Peter went off towards the hideout of the lost boys, while Tink and her friends headed for Pixy Hollow, "weirder than anything else that's happened."

"At least we're all together," said Faun, "and no one got hurt."

"And two of us finally realized their feelings for each other," said Vidia.

"You're going to tease us about that from now on, aren't you?" Terence asked.

"You'd better believe it," said a slyly grinning Vidia.

"I'm just glad that things are alright again," said Tink, "and we can all get back to what we do best."

"Keeping nature flowing," said Silvermist.

"A fairy's work is never done," said Rosetta.

"But as long as we all work together," said Tink, "we can do anything." She, Iridessa, Silvermist, Faun, Rosetta and Vidia then did a hands-in.

"Faith…" said Iridessa and Silvermist.

"…trust…" said Faun and Rosetta

"…and Pixy Dust!" said Tink and Vidia.

As they flew on towards their home, Tink and Terence held hands again. There were no words spoken between them, but none were needed. They were just happy with being with each other.

* * *

><p>"Well, that was definitely the weirdest adventure yet," said Tess as our heroes left the transporter room.<p>

"And the most dangerous so far," said Sora, "the demons almost got Kairi."

"They're getting way too close," said Kairi, "one mistake and Giden will have exactly what he wants."

"No way we're letting that happen," said Jacob, "Gideon made a lot of trouble for Nessie and me, so no way is that bastard gonna get his way."

Just then Sidney appeared in front of our heroes, "what is this?" she asked in an annoyed tone as she pointed at Quill and Embry, "you said that you were bringing up friends, not wild animals!"

"They're not wild animals," said Jacob, "they're my friends," he looked at the two wolves, "aren't you, guys?" at that Quill and Embry nodded in agreement.

"They may be your friends," said Sidney, "but if they make a mess on this ship, you people have to clean it up."

"We already keep the ship clean," said Sora, "and we do all the cooking."

"What more do you want?" Roxas asked.

"I just want you to remember that this ship is my body," said Sidney, "and I like to keep my body healthy."

"We'll do that," said Riku, "but we should take the ship out of orbit. We don't know what kind of space forces the enemy have right now."

"Maleficent and Gideon could send space Heartless after us," said Aiden, "I didn't think of that."

"Then we should be going then," said Sidney, "so, do you have a destination in mind?"

"We could head back to Radiant Garden," said Kairi as they walked to the bridge, "and ask Merlin about fixing Jacob's friends."

"Or we could ask Yen Sid," said Sora, "in Twilight Town."

"Either wizard would surely know what to do," said Riku as they reached the bridge and the assumed their stations, "but where should we go first?"

Everyone looked at a holographic map of the worlds. Neverland was highlighted in green, representing the ship in orbit around the world.

Just then the communications terminal chimed, signaling an incoming transmission, "it's from The King!" said Kairi.

A holographic imager then showed King Mickey. "Your majesty!" said everyone.

"Hiya, guys!" said King Mickey, "how's everything going?"

"Well, so far we've been to five of the worlds," said Sora, "and fought a lot of Heartless and demons."

"And we know what the enemy is planning," said Kairi. She and the others gave The King a brief summary of what Ansem the Wise, Young Watari and Ryzaki told them in the artifical dream.

"So that's who L. Lawlett is," said King Mickey, "and Ansem has been working with him all along."

"You knew that Ansem was alive?" Riku asked.

"Yes," said King Mickey in a sheepish tone, "he asked me to keep things quiet while he worked, so…"

"It's alright," said Riku, "he had his reasons for not wanting the enemy to know he was alive."

"Well he still had no right to mess with everyone's dreams," said Jacob.

Sora and the others then introduced Jacob, Quill and Embry to King Mickey.

"So now Jacob is separated from his one true love," said Kairi, "she's working with others somewhere else in the worlds."

"And Jacob's friends are here as well," said Aiden, "we've found two of them, but they're stuck in wolf mode."

"We were wondering if either Merlin or Yen Sid could help them," said Sora.

"I'll bet they could," said King Mickey, "I'll tell you what. You give me a little time, and I'll arrange a conference between you guys, Merlin and master Yen Sid."

"A video conference?" Riku asked.

"With Yen Sid and Merlin," said Sora, "we could definitely figure out how to help Quill and Embry that way."

"And at the same time help you guys with your powers," said King Mickey, "I've been doing a lot of research lately, and I'm almost done putting together a new training program."

"More training?" Aiden whined, "we had more than enough of that from Nodoka Sensei."

"This'll be a lot different," said King Mickey, "you're gonna learn Keyblade moves and spells that'll completely blow away any Heartless that Maleficent and the other baddies throw at you, moves and spells that'll help you eventually become Keyblade Masters."

"Keyblade Masters," said Sora in a thoughtful tone, while Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess also looked thoughtful.

"I'll get back with you when we're all ready over here," said King Mickey, "and good luck with everything on your end." With that the transmission ended.

"Keyblade Masters," said Riku, "you don't see many of those any more."

"Aren't we supposed to take some sort of test for that?" Kairi asked.

"The Mark of Mastery," said Riku, "Ansem the Wise told me about it once."

"Well that's something to look forward to," said Tess, "but right now we have to decide wehre to go."

"Well," said Sora, "since The King is going to arrange for us to talk to Yen Sid and Merlin," he looked at the map of the worlds and pointed to Beast's Castle, "I thought we'd check in on Beast and Belle."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Riku as he sat down at the helm and laid in the course, "ready to go whenever everyone's ready."

"Then let's go!" said Sora. With that Riku pressed the button and the ship jumped into hyperspace.

* * *

><p>…Somewhere in Time and Space…<p>

"Well," said Pete as he and Hektor Nightfist, a Hakonian with shoulder-length brown hair and reddish-brown eyes and wearing a green and white martial artist outfit, stood on a large hill overlooking a river valley, "they're not here."

"I never said finding Reddik and Rakel would be easy," said Hektor, "but we have to."

"Yeah, I know," said Pete, "those two crazy kooks are supposed to be your new leaders, assumin' we can find them."

"We have to," said Hektor, "otherwise my people are doomed to extinction."

"Well your people won't be saved if we're just sitting round here on our keisters," said Pete as he summoned a Dark Corridor, "let's keep lookin'" with that he and Hektor went through the portal, which closed up after them.

**The end of chapter 1.**

Next chapter we switch to Team Hayner as they explore the fantastic sights and sounds of Wonderland, and a certain vampire princess is reunited with some of those she loves. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	2. Chapter 2: The Wonders of Wonderland

Last time Team Sora finally arriving at Neverland. There they met up with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell. Some special Pixy Dust allowed Sora and the gang to understand what Tink was saying, and she had quite a tale to tell. The demons, whom have allied themselves with Captain Hook, sought to destroy Pixy Hollow in order to bring chaos to nature. They also took one of Tink's friends, Terrence, hostage out on Skull Rock, with the placed fortified against any attempts of rescue. But Aiden transmuted a tunnel underneath the water and up into the rock where a furious battle resulted in the demons vanquished and Hook sailing for the horizon with his tail between his legs, with the croc giving chase. With another gold key needed to unseal the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis found, our heroes set out for Beasts Castle. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 2: The Wonders of Wonderland**

"I think I'm finally getting the hang of this spell," said Olette as she formed a sphere of orange lightning in her hand. She then threw it at a Heartless-shaped target at the far end of the ship's training room. The target was instantly vaporized.

"It took me almost two weeks for me to do that," said an impressed Renesmee 'Nessie' Cullen, "and I'm not even fully human."

Indeed, Nessie was a human/vampire hybrid, the result of a love between a mortal woman and an immortal. Nessie's story was long and complicated, to say the least. In short, she was hunted by the vile Gideon Graves because he thought she was the one he was looking for, for his diabolical plans.

But when Giden found out that Nessie wasn't the one he was looking for, he rejected her in the worst way possible. He used a curse to blast Nessie, as well as her one true love Jacob Black, a shape shifter who turns into a wolf, as well as her vampire family and his wolf pack, out of their world and into the realms.

While Jacob wound up on Radiant garden, where he teamed up with Sora and his group, while Nessie fell onto Twilight Town and met Hayner, Pence and Olette, whom have been training to fight the darkness and go out into the worlds to find and help Sora and Kairi.

Nessie easily impressed Hayner and the others with her inhuman physical prowess, while still maintaining the secret of her immortality. But when Maleficent and the demons launched their attack on the realms, Nessie wound up revealing her true nature to Hayner and the others.

But they were okay with her being half vampire. They fully accepted her as a friend and asked her to join then aboard their ship, _The Voyaging Light_, piloted by Vivi no less, and explore the worlds. Since then they fought countless Heartless, Nobodies, demons and other monsters, while also finding strange gold keys.

"I guess it's because I'm more natural at magic," said Olette.

"That's probably right," said Nessie, "on my world, vampires aren't know for actually using magic. We've got a lot of talents, just not magic. Being half human myself kinda helps me with it."

"That makes sense," said Pence as he and Hayner, at the other end of the training room, went through Ki exorcises with one William 'Will' Parry and his daemon Kirjava.

Will's story is just as complicated as Nessie's. Fully human, Will cane from a parallel Earth, from which he went an an incredible journey in which he briefly acquired a knife that had the power to cut through space and time. Ownership of the knife cost Will two of his fingers, and he eventually had to destroy the knife in order to keep the fabric of reality, as well as the souls of everyone in existence, safe.

What sets Will apart from the others on _The Voyaging Light_, other than his two missing fingers, was Kirjava, a large talking cat that was in fact the physical manifestation of his soul; what one experiences, the other feels as well.

Will volunteered to leave his world and use his learned skills to battle the darkness. He arrived on Twilight Town not too long after Nessie, and he quickly became friends with her, as well as Hayner, Pence and Olette, and becoming another member of the crew.

Since then they've been to three of the worlds and acquired three gold keys. On the third world they fought and defeated one of Gideon's top minions. After which, while in rout to the next world, they all experienced an artificial dream where they met up with Sora's group.

Nessie was reunited with her beloved Jacob, while Will and Kirjava met their soul mates, Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon Pan, whom they were forced to leave eac other long ago.

In the artificial dream, it was explained to all our heroes the diabolical plan of Gideon Graves; to capture Kairi and use her to find and capture the new Princesses of Heart, all so Gideon could open a portal to limbo and release his dark god, who in fact is one Light Yagami, a evil genius who in fact wants to remake all of existence in his own version of good.

Regardless of intention, Light Yagami posses a threat to the realms, to all of existence, and cannot be allowed to escape his limbo prison.

The architects of the artificial dream, Ansem the Wise, Young Watari and L. Lawlett, Ryuzaki to his friends, explained that the gold keys our heroes have been finding are part of a set of thirteen that open a hidden vault on Traverse Town. In that vault is the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis, the only item capable of forever destroying Maleficent, Gideon and Light Yagami. Ryuzaki told Sora, Hayner and their friends that it was up to them to unseal the talisman, and our heroes willingly accepted this quest, while promising each other to meet up in Traverse Town when they found all the keys and unseal the talisman, and our heroes accepted this quest willingly.

So here was Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will, Kirjava and Nessie, on their way to the next world, not sure exactly what they'll find, but confident in their abilities and in each other.

"You've told us that this next world," said Hayner to Will and Nessie, "Wonderland, it's in a book on your worlds?"

"One that's read by almost every child," said Will.

"And by a lot of adults," said Nessie, "it's a great story, but not really my cup of tea."

"Right," said Pence, "your tea consists of animal blood."

"Hey, I eat plenty of human food," said Nessie as she placed her hands on her hips in an annoyed manner.

"Speaking of blood," said Olette, "are you okay, thirst-wise?"

"I'm alright for now," said Nessie, "I had plenty of leopard blood on Deep Jungle, so I'm okay for a while. I've got a feeling that I won't get a chance to do any hunting while on this world."

"But there's animals everywhere," said Hayner.

"Yeah," said Nessie, "but if this world is what I think it'll be, then the animals there can talk, and to me, hunting talking animals just seems wrong," she looked at Kirjava, "no offense."

"None taken," said Kirjava as she leapt into Will's arms.

Just then Vivi's voice could be heard on the ship's intercom, "we're coming up on Wonderland."

They headed to the bridge, where the visual display showed a world that looked like a red and pink heart with a hedge maze.

"Do you think we'll find a key on this world?" Olette asked as she held up the one she found on Port Royal, while Pence held up the one he found on Halloween Town and Nessie held up the one she found on Deep Jungle.

"I'm more worried that we'll find my family there," said Nessie, "and Jacob's pack." the same curse that blasted Nessie and Jacob out of their universe also afflicted Nessies' immortal parents, aunts and uncles, as well as the members of Jacob's shape shifting pack.

"We won't know if we don't go," said Will, "so, are we going?"

"I've got no reason to not go," said Pence.

"Me neither," said Hayner as he, Olette and Pence gathered their weapons, while Nessie and Will did the same.

"The usual drill, guys," said Vivi as they all walked to the transporter room, "if you get into too much trouble, just give me a call and I'll beam you all back up."

"Do we actually have a definition for too much trouble?" Pence asked, "I'm just asking?"

"If it looks like we're about to die or the world is about to blow up, then it's too much trouble," said Nessie, "then again, anything can happen in this world, or any world for that matter."

"All we can do is be ready for anything," said Hayner.

"Beam us down, Vivi," said Olette.

"Energizing," said Vivi. The next thing they knew, Hayner and the others were in a dark tunnel, falling down that tunnel to be precise.

"Oh crap!" shouted Pence as they fell through the tunnel.

"This has got to be the worst mistake we've ever made!" shouted Olette.

"I'm calling Vivi!" shouted Hayner, "hopefully he'll beam us back to the ship before we splatter on the ground.

"Wait!" said Nessie, "I know this part, just hang on!"

"Why?" shouted Olette, "we're having firsthand experience of the effects of gravity!"

"But we're not falling that fast," said Kirjava, "at least I don't think we're falling that fast."

"We're definitely below terminal velocity," said Will, "but if only we could see, then I'd know we were safe."

Just then a light went on and Hayner and the others could see again. That light came from a table lamp that was attacked to a table that was hovering in the tunnel as our heroes slowly fell past.

"I knew it!" said a grinning Nessie.

"We're not falling to our deaths," said Pence in a relieved tone.

"And we're in some weird place," said Olette as she took full stock of their surroundings. The tunnel was full of furniture, some of it attached to the wall, other items were floating in midair as our heroes slowly fell past them.

Eventually they came to a soft landing in a small circular room that had a hallway leading to a door.

"Now what?" Pence asked.

"There's only one way forward," said Will as he pointed to the door at the end of the hallway. He opened it, only to reveal another, smaller door behind it. Will opened it to reveal another smaller door, then another, and another, "oh, I should have seen this coming."

"What is this?" Pence asked as Will finally opened the last door, which was barely large enough for our heroes to fit through, "a fun house?"

"Why?" Will asked, "are we having fun yet?"

They walked through the doorway and found themselves in a room that looked to be a bedroom, a kitchen, dining room and sitting room all in one, with a bed in one corner, a sink in another, a fireplace on one side, a large clock on another, and in the middle was a table with a chair. On the table were two bottles with different colored tops.

"What now?" Olette asked. She then noticed a very small door on the other side of the room, "is that were we're supposed to go next?"

"Not me," said Pence, "like I could fit through that."

"Wait," said Nessie, "do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Hayner asked.

"Someone snoring," said Nessie.

"I think I hear snoring," said Olette, "look!" she pointed to the doorknob of the small door. The knob had a face which was fast asleep, hence the source of the snoring.

"I didn't expect this," Will said as he looked at the sleeping doorknob.

"Me neither," said Nessie.

"What do we do now?" Pence asked, "should we try to talk to the doorknob?"

"You're taking the fact of a doorknob that snores rather well," said Will.

"I guess after all that's happened," said Pence, "I'm kinda desensitized to weirdness." At that Hayner and Olette nodded in agreement.

Just then the doorknob coughed and opened his eyes and looked up at out heroes with a half-asleep expression, "what…who are you strangers?"

"Travelers," said Will.

"Forgive me for being intrusive," said Nessie, "but have you seen any shape shifters or vampires around?"

The doorknob yawned, "vampires and shape shifters? Can't say that I have, but then, I have been resting my eyes a lot," he yawned again, "so I might have missed them."

"So, we'll have to look around for them," said Hayner, he looked around the room, "but where do we go from here?"

"Oh," sighed the doorknob, "there's all sorts of ways to and fro in Wonderland, in you're in the right position to find them," he looked up at the two bottles on the table, "one will make you small, and one will make to tall."

Nessie walked over to the table and sniffed the bottles, "this one is a shrinking potion, the other an enlargement potion, and the bottles are enchanted so they'll never run out." she looked around the room, "there's doorways all over the place; some on the walls, some in the ceiling, and there's one right next to the door down there."

"I'd gladly let you in," said the doorknob, "but a boy locked me a while back, a boy with a strange sword like a key."

"Sora," said Hayner.

"Yes," said the doorknob as he yawned, "but then, just the other day, I felt rather strange for a while, like someone was trying to turn me inside out," he yawned, "and that's when more of those horrible things showed up again, those dark creatures."

"Heartless," said Pence.

"But what are we supposed to do?" Olette asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nessie asked, "we take the shrinking potion and go exploring. This Wonderland is turning out to be different from the one in the book."

"I agree," said Will, "we've seen 'Drink Me,' but what about 'Eat Me'?"

"I'm sure it'll turn up soon," said Nessie, "so, I'll go first, then the rest of you," she held up the bottle with the shrinking potion, "bottoms up!" she took a swing and quickly handed it to Hayner, before she shrank to the size of a human thumb.

"You're not really gonna drink that," said Pence to Hayner, "are you?"

"Might as well," said Hayner, "it looks like it's the only way to go forward on this world," he took a swig and handed it to Pence, "see you on the other side," he then shrank to the size of a human thumb.

"Oh, well," said Pence, "fortune favors the bold," he took a swig and passed it to Olette. She took a swig and passed it to Will, who also drank form it. The three of them shrank, while Kirjava, being Will's daemon, shrank with him.

"Welcome to the small side," said a grinning Nessie.

"Wait," said Pence, "how are we going to get big again?"

"Where's the growing potion?" Olette asked.

"On the table," said Hayner in defeated tone, "all the way up there."

"We'll just jump onto the chair and then jump into the table," said Will. He then did so, with Kirjava jumping with him.

"Or we could just jump directly onto the table," said Nessie. She then did so without any real effort.

"You know," said Will in an annoyed tone, "just because you're half vampire, doesn't mean you're better than the rest of us."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Nessie in a smug tone.

Just then the area was filled with Heartless, mostly Shadows, Soldiers and Large Bodies, but also Red Nocturnes, Blue Rhapsodies and Yellow Operas.

"Ever have the feeling that someone out there doesn't like you?" Will asked as he and Nessie drew their weapons and swatted at the flying magic users that were zooming around them, blasting them with Fire, Ice and Thunder spells.

Down on the ground, Hayner fought with a group of Shadows, slashing and stabbing with his sword, while Pence bashed a Soldier with his wrist shields and Olette blasted another Soldier with a fireball. She then tried to get behind a Large Body.

"Why can't we ever get a break?" Pence asked as he fought off a pair of Shadows, then helped Olette get behind and destroy the Large Body.

"I actually don't mind the fighting," said Will as he tried to stab a Red Nocturne, but missed, "but these little buggers are really pissing me off!" He then tried to stab a Blue Rhapsody, then a Yellow Opera, but kept missing. He then dodged as the flying magic users shot spells at him.

"You got to be faster them!" said Nessie as she jumped up and stabbed several of the flying magic users in one fluid strike, before landing gracefully on the table.

"Well then," said Will, "you handle the buggers, and I'll take care of the rest!" he jumped down from the table and began attacking and destroying Shadows and Soldiers.

"Hey!" said Hayner, "leave some for us!"

"We're here to, you know?" Pence said as he bashed a Soldier in the head, while Olette blasted a group of Shadows with a Thunder spell.

Eventually the area was free of Heartless, and our heroes had a minute to catch their breath.

"That definitely wasn't in the book," said Will.

"I think the book was returned to the library a long time ago," said Olette, "and we're pretty much on our own."

"Right," said Hayner, "so, which way do we go now?"

At that the doorknob, whom had fallen asleep during the battle, woke up again, "you could try the doorway next to me. It leads directly to the court of the Queen of Hearts, or, it used to. She had half the world done over since this whole mess with the darkness started, so who knows where you'll end up."

"We'll just have to try our best," said Will, "and keep moving forward."

"Ain't that the truth," said Pence. With that they went through the side doorway next to the doorknob.

The next thing Hayner and the others knew they were in a huge forest with parts of the area partitioned by tall reeds and grasses. Here and there were large flowers growing from the trees; some were red, others were yellow.

"This is…kind of nice," said Olette.

"Yeah, nice," said Pence.

"The flowers are a pretty touch," said Kirjava, "and they smell nice too."

"You think they're nice?" an annoyed Nessie asked, with a mildly disgusted expression on her face, "these flowers smell _too _good in my book."

"How can a flower smell too good?" Hayner asked.

"They can to this nose," said Nessie as she tapped her nose, "to me, they smell like way too many spices, too much coconut sunscreen and fresh mulch, and a lot of other stuff."

"I can't smell any of that," said Will.

"Well I can," said Nessie, "and those flowers are making it really hard for me to sort out other scents. I can barely smell you guys."

"So you're sense of smell is overwhelmed," said Hayner, "how bad can that be?"

"Trust me, it's bad," said Nessie, "vampires rely a lot on their sense of smell. Without being able to tell what smells what, it's like being numb all over, or for a human, being deprived of sight and hearing. And it's even worse because chances are, I won't be able to smell if there's any trouble coming."

Just then a fresh batch of Heartless appeared around them.

"Case in point!" said Nessie as she and everyone got their weapons out and fought back against the dark creatures.

"Isn't there a limit to these things?" Pence asked as he bashed a Red Nocturne out of the air.

"Your guess is as good as mine!" said Olette as she cast a Gravity spell on several Yellow Operas and Blue Rhapsodies, crushing them.

"Heartless aren't the problem," said Nessie as she stabbed a Large Body in the back, then destroyed a squad of Soldiers, "it's the one controlling them."

"What kind of demon do you think is messing with this world?" Will asked as he and Kirjava destroyed several Shadows.

"Whatever it is," said Hayner as he fought off and destroyed a Large Body, "we'll take care of it and move onto the next world."

"Just as soon as we look for Nessie's family and friends," said Pence.

"And for one of the gold keys," said Olette.

After another minute of fighting the area was free of Heartless.

"Okay," said Hayner, "so, where do we go now?"

"Is it me," said Pence, "or is this forest looking bigger than it was when we came in?"

"I think it has gotten bigger," said Will, "this definitely wasn't in the book."

"So what do we do?" Olette asked.

"I think we should just try to find our way forward," said Nessie, "hopefully we'll get away from all these flowers. They're starting to gross me out."

They walked deeper into the Lotus Forest and within minutes had become completely disoriented.

"Are we lost?" Pence asked, "it feels like we are."

"If I had my two lost fingers," said Will as he looked at his maimed hand, "I'd give them for just one minute with that compass of Jack Sparrow's."

"I'd settle if we didn't have all of these flowers all over the place," said Nessie as she sniffed the air, her face set with annoyance, "I can't get any clear traces of anything, except for the flowers."

"If Nessie's nose is confounded," said Olette, "then we really are in trouble."

Just then a large, dark purple and light purple-stripped cat with a huge smile full of pearly-white teeth, appeared in the trees in front of Nessie, or rather, his head was the only part of himself that could be seen, "well now, more strangers," said the Cheshire Cat, "come in search of that which is lost?"

"How did you know that we're looking for someone?" Nessie asked.

"And how come you're just a head?" Hayner asked.

"And why is that not so disturbing as it should be?" Olette asked.

"We are so desensitized," said Pence.

"Oh," said the head of the Cheshire Cat, "one moment please," the rest of his body, starting with the dark purple stripes, then the light purple stripes, "I do apologize. Sometimes it takes me a while to pull myself together."

"I know what that feels like," said Will, "sometimes I feel like everything I've gone through has just been a dream, and that I'm going to wake up in a boring, normal life."

"That's a distinct possibility," said the Cheshire Cat, "life itself may be a dream, where the dream is reality and real life is the illusion." He then vanished with a wave of his tail, only to reappear in the tree behind Nessie and the others, "then again, can anyone be sure what is real?"

"We'd love to debate philosophy with you," said Nessie, "but what was that about finding someone lost?"

"Ah," said the Cheshire Cat, "that depends," he stood on his folded arms and gestured with his feet, "who you wish to find."

"Well," said Nessie, "it really doesn't matter in which order I find my friends and family, so long as they're found."

"Then," said the Cheshire Cat as he floated down to the ground, "it really doesn't matter who you find, does it?" He vanished again as he landed. His paw prints could be seen walking towards another tree as he laughed while invisible. He walked right up to Pence and the paw prints went right around him.

The Cheshire Cat then reappeared on another tree branch, leaning against the trunk, "oh, by the way," he said in a nonchalant tone, "I recently saw a strange man fall out of the sky, strange, with very pale skin, but very interesting."

"What kind of interesting?" Nessie asked, "did he have gold eyes and bronze hair like mine? Or was he tall with short black hair?"

"Truth be told," said the Cheshire Cat as he leaned down on the tree branch, "I didn't see what color his hair was. But if you want to know where he went," he pointed in one direction but looked in another, "he went that way."

"Who did?" Pence asked.

"The vampire man," said the Cheshire Cat.

'How did you know he was a vampire?" Hayner asked.

"You just told me," said the Cheshire Cat.

"Do we didn't," said the Olette.

"Didn't do what?" the Cheshire Cat asked.

"Tell you that the man who fell from the sky was a vampire," said Pence.

"A vampire is here?" the Cheshire Cat asked as his head turned completely around, "how interesting."

"But you just said…" said an annoyed Hayner, "oh…never mind."

"Can you stand on your head?" the Cheshire Cat asked as he literally took his head off, placed it on the branch and balanced on it with one foot.

"Not like you can," said Olette.

"We are so desensitized," Pence said again.

"If you really want to know," said the Cheshire Cat as he picked his head up and plopped it back onto his shoulders, "if you were really looking for a vampire man, I'd ask The Mad Hatter and The March Hare. Both of them can be found," he then pointed in five different directions, with his legs and tail, while looking in a sixth direction with his eyes, "that way."

"Uh…thanks," said Will hesitantly, "we'll just…"

"Oh, I should warn you,' said the Cheshire Cat, "they're both quite mad," he laughed, "like most people in this world," his dark purple stripes vanished, leaving only the light purple stripes, which began to slowly fade out, "as you can see, I'm not quite all here myself." by now only his head was visible, and that vanished, leaving only his grinning teeth, and that soon vanished as well.

"And I the only one who feels like we're all in the middle of a weird dream?" Pence asked.

"More like a bad trip," said Will.

"One thing's for sure," said Nessie, "if my father isn't here, and neither is my Uncle Emmet, then it's got to be Uncle Jasper," she sniffed the air again and again she had an annoyed look on her face, "but there's too much flower pheromones in the air. I can barely make out the scents of you guys. Hell, I can barely smell myself."

"Maybe you'll get a better scent of the place if you're higher up," said Hayner.

"That's a good idea," said Nessie. She then jumped up onto the highest branch of the highest tree and sniffed the air. She then sniffed in one direction, clearly picking up a scent, a look of eager anticipation on her face. Nessie then began jumping from tree branch to tree branch, following the scent.

"What is it?" Olette shouted from the ground as she and the others followed Nessie, "what do you smell?"

"Not what!" Nessie shouted down to them, "who!"

She jumped down from the trees and ran into a doorway in the forest wall, with the others soon following her.

They found themselves in a small backyard of a thatched cottage. In the middle of the yard was a long table with several chairs around it. The table was filled with tea pots, cups and saucers and plates full of bread and pots full of jam.

At one end of the table was The Mad Hatter and the March Hare, singing about Un-birthdays, while the Dormouse was snoring in one of the tea pots, but Nessie was looking at the man sitting opposite from the two lunatics.

The man had very pale skin and yellow eyes. He was tall, lanky but well muscled and shoulder-length honey blond hair. He wore a gray and white shirt and jacket with black trousers.

"Uncle Jasper!" said Nessie.

The vampire looked up and smiled at Nessie, "I'll be with you in a second, little one," he said in a mild Texan accent. He stood up and spoke to the Mad Hatter and March Hare, "thank you, gentlemen, for an…interesting tea party."

"'twas our pleasure, man," said the March Hare, "not every day you get to have tea with a man who's been around for so long."

"And remember what I said about your watch," said the Mad Hatter as he dunked his own watch in his tea cup, "you'd better get it fixed soon, otherwise it'll be four days slow, rather than just two."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Jasper. He then ran over to Nessie, moving so fast that Hayner and the others barely saw him move. The two immortals embraced like separated family members that they were.

"I was so scared that something bad happened to you, Uncle Jasper," said Nessie, "I thought that you got blasted into a lot of pieces."

"Well I can assure you, little one," said Jasper, "I am completely whole."

"That's wonderful," said Nessie, "oh, these are my friends," she then introduced Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and the others, "they've been helping me out."

"I'm please to meet the friends of my niece," said Jasper as he introduced himself to Hayner and the others, "Jasper Hale Cullen, born Whitlock, at your service."

"Please to meet you, Mr. Cullen," said Hayner as he, Pence, Olette and Will shook hands with the gentleman vampire.

"I had just had the oddest tea party with two of the oddest people," said Jasper, "a real Mad Hatter and March Hare. And do call me Jasper."

"We're in the middle of a revamped version of the book by Lewis Carroll, Uncle Jasper," said Nessie, "don't ask me how, but that's how it is."

"Oh yes, the book by Mr. Carroll," said Jasper, "anyway, with the Mad Hatter and March Hare, there is a sort of method to their insanity. Apart from constantly changing seats around the table, which didn't give me a chance to have any tea at all, not that I would drink any mind you, and all other nonsense about riddles, the concept of an un-birthday is quite interesting. Basically, it's just an excuse to have a party whenever you want it," he looked at Nessie, "and having spent many happy years with your Aunt Alice, one tends to appreciate any chance for fun when it comes, without attracting attention that is."

"Speaking of Aunt Alice," said Nessie, "where is she? I thought she'd be with you?"

"That is a good question," said Jasper, "I have been looking for her," he sniffed the air, "but all these flowers are leaving me a bit discombobulated. Then again, I have only been looking for Alice for less than an hour, and only stopped because these two lunatics," he indicated the Mad Hatter and March Hare, "invited me, and it would have been rude of me to turn down said invitation."

"Wait, you've only been here for an hour?" Hayner asked.

"Exactly one hour, eleven minutes and seventeen seconds," said Jasper, "I only carry a watch for ornamental purposes."

"Vampires have an excellent sense of time," said Nessie to her friends.

"And just so you know," said Jasper, "I always keep my watch accurate," he looked at the Mad Hatter, "two days slow my eye."

"But how did you get here only an hour ago?" Pence asked, "Nessie fell out of the sky onto our world a few days ago."

"You're right," said Nessie, "just how did you come about getting here only an hour ago, Uncle Jasper?"

"That, I'm not sure," said Jasper, "the curse that vile Gideon Graves used to separate you from the rest of us must have affected us all differently, and I think, and this is only a theory mind you, because the rest of us were at different distances from you and Jacob when the curse activated, it caused us all to be scattered through time and space. Some of us must have arrived on different worlds at different times."

At that Nessie looked rather depressed, "then that means that Aunt Alice could be anywhere, on another world and in a different time. And who knows where Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmet are? And what about Jacob's pack? I know Jacob's alright, he's with friends, but what about mother and father?"

"I can honestly say that I have no idea where your parents or anyone else is," said Jasper, "but Alice is here on this world, I can feel it."

"We'll find her," said Will to Nessie, "and the others."

"And in the meanwhile," said Jasper, "you, Renesmee Carlie Cullen, can introduce me to your friends," he then suspiciously eyed Hayner and the others, "and just how much do they know?"

"That's Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and his soul Kirjava," said Nessie, "and they know, not everything, but a lot; especially the part how we're immortal, about Jacob and his pack, and a lot of other stuff."

"You're taking a large risk here, little one," said Jasper in a stern tone, "if the Volturi ever learn how reckless you've been with our secrets…"

"What the Volturi don't know won't hurt them," said Nessie in a confident manner, "they didn't help us when the demons harassed us back in Forks, and the certainly didn't come to my rescue when Gideon had me kidnapped.

"Besides, Aro and his merry band of slaves have no authority in these worlds, so there's no reason why we shouldn't keep ourselves secret," she looked at Hayner and the others, "my friends have accepted me for who I am, and they'll accept the rest of us."

"We're totally cool with vampires," said Hayner, while Pence and Olette nodded in agreement.

"I've seen many things myself," said Will, "traveled to many worlds and experienced enough to fill a lifetime. I'm sure my life is nothing compared to that of a vampire, but I have nothing against vampires in general, especially if one of them is my friend."

"Well, technically Nessie is only half vampire," said Jasper, "but friends of her are friends of mine." He smiled at Nessie, "now, dear niece, do be kind enough to fill me in on everything that's happened to you."

"That's a long story," said Nessie. She looked at the other side of the are, where a recently made doorway had been cut out of the hedges, "and we could spend long hours talking about it, or I could show you everything," she placed her hand on Jasper's face and 'showed' him her crystal clear memories of everything that happened to her since she arrived in the realms.

"Now that is a story," said Jasper after Nessie finished showing her story, "I'm sorry I did not ask for that explination at first. I was worried about Alice."

"We'll find her," said Nessie in a reassuring manner. She then sniffed the air in a disgusted manner, "as soon as we get away from these horribly sweet flowers."

"They are rather pungent," said Jasper.

"What's in there?" Olette asked as she, Hayner and Pence looked into the doorway.

"Hopefully it's somewhere that doesn't have anything that's out to kill us," said Hayner.

Just then the Cheshire Cat appeared leaning on the balcony of the cottage, "maybe there will be what you want, or maybe not. Maybe you'll get the opposite."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, "Heartless are no Heartless?"

"Or maybe we'll find the next gold key in the next area," said Pence, "or maybe Nessie's aunt Alice."

"Yes," said the Cheshire Cat as he raised all four paws and stood on his tail, "exactly. Or maybe no," he vanished and reappeared in front of the new doorway, "or maybe you'll find something completely unexpected." With that he vanished completely.

"That guy is either totally nuts," said Olette, "or he's the sanest cat in this crazy world."

Just then over at the tea party, the dormouse jumped out of his pot, a terrified look on his face, "Cat? What cat! There's a cat here!" he then ran around the table, making a mess of everything.

"Oh no!" shouted the Mad Hatter, "not again!"

"Get the jam!" shouted the March Hare, "get the jam!" He and the Mad Hatter chased after the dormouse with the jam jar, eventually catching up with the mouse can slathered a large amount of jam under his nose. The scent of the jam calmed the dormouse and he went back to sleep.

"Thank goodness," said the Mad Hatter.

"More tea?" the March Hare asked.

"Definitely," said the Mad Hatter.

"Let's just get out of here before something crazy happens," said Hayner.

"Right," said Pence. With that they, Olette, Will, Kirjava, Nessie and Jasper walked through the doorway, and found themselves back into the Bizarre Room, but were on the ceiling.

"What the…!" exclaimed Pence, "how did we get up here?"

"I don't even want to know," said Will, "and I'm the one who spent so much time around scientists."

"Even immortals aren't immune to the laws of physics," said Jasper, "our abilities can bend them, but not break them."

"I think we're at the point where we have to believe that nothing is impossible," said Nessie.

Just then more Heartless appeared around them.

"Guess we shouldn't be surprised," said Olette as she and the others pulled out their weapons.

"I'm assuming you younglings know of these things," said Jasper.

"Oh, we sure do," said Pence.

"Then allow me to assist," said Jasper, "Hayner, you attack on the left flank. Will, you and your familiar attack on the right. Renesmee, you go for the center. Pence, Olette, you supply defense and covering fire. I'll take care of the rest."

"What…" said Olette.

"Just do as he says," said Nessie as she, Hayner and Will attacked the dark creatures, with her in the middle, Hayner on the left and Will on the right.

"Just roll with it, Olette," said Pence as he bashed one Shadow that got past Nessie and the others.

"Okay, I guess," said Olette. She then blasted a group of Red Nocturnes with a Thunder spell, then hit a Blue Rhapsody with a fireball, then destroyed a group of Yellow Operas with a Blizzard spell.

At the same time Jasper was busy himself, moving so fast around the battleground that he was little more than a blur. He would either grab a Heartless and rip it apart, or throw it across the room with enough force that it would self destruct on impact.

It wasn't long before the are was free of Heartless, "that was quick," said a surprised Hayner.

"That was my uncle's military background helping us," said Nessie.

"It's true," said Jasper, "I'm sure that my niece as told you all that not all vampires are as 'mellow' as those in our family. Not too long ago our there were those among our kind who fought devastating wars over hunting territory, wars involving a handful of mature immortals who raised armies of newborn vampires. Such wars were outlawed by those in power, but the scars of war, by those fortunate few who survived, remained."

Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava then noticed that Jasper's skin around his neck and wrists, were marred by faint but distinct bite marks.

"Does it hurt for a vampire to get bitten again?" Hayner asked.

"More than you realize," said Jasper, "a human who receives the bite of a vampire, who isn't drained of blood but left to change, experiences the worst pain anyone, mortal and immortal, can imagine. Getting bitten again doesn't hurt as much, but it's still an agony."

"So you fought in vampire wars," said Will.

"I helped create armies of newborns," said Jasper, "I trained them to be walking weapons of destruction. I ordered them to their final deaths, and I destroyed those who were of no longer useful. But that was a long time ago, long before I discovered a new, better way of being immortal, before I joined with the Cullen family, before I met Alice.

"If I hadn't met her, if I hadn't gone with Alice and eventually met Carlisle and his family, I'd still be just another vampire, killing at will, quenching the endless thirst for blood."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Pence asked in a nervous tone, "I mean…"

"You younglings are human," said Jasper, "but I can assure you that I have 'kicked the habit.' After everything that happened with Bella, I have no more desire to drink human blood. The urge is still there, as it is with all us vegetarian vampires, but I am in control. I'm stronger than I was, and I owe a lot to Alice."

"Speaking of Aunt Alice," said Nessie, "we'd better keep looking for her."

"That we shall," said Jasper, "now, what's this about gold keys?"

"It's another long story," said Pence as he walked towards one of the walls and found a portal out of the Bizarre Room, "where does this go?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" said the disembodied voice of the Cheshire Cat. He then appeared in midair above the doorway, "there's still time to turn back and try for adventure another day. Of course, you could go forward and find an even bigger adventure."

"What is your problem?" Pence asked, "either you're helping us or not, so make up your mind already."

"My mind?" the Cheshire Cat asked, "what exactly is the mind? No matter. But then, what is matter? Never mind." With that he vanished.

"I never really did like cats to begin with," said Nessie, "I prefer wolves." With that she walked into the doorway, followed by the others.

They found themselves inside a large hedge maze, "great," said Pence, "another chance to get lost."

"Well I'm in no mood to get lost again," said Will. He then did a ki-powered jump to the top of the hedges, only to find that the hedges magically grew as he jumped, preventing him from seeing over the top. As he came down from the jump, Will was shocked to find that the hedges shrank back to normal.

"Now that's just plain unfair!" said Will.

"It looks like we can't cheat our way out of this," said Hayner.

"I'm not into cheating," said Nessie, "but we're in a hurry." She then started climbing the hedges, only to be outrages that the hedges grew head of her. She climbed as fast as she could, but the hedges grew faster. Disgusted, she fell back to the ground, just as the hedges shrank to normal.

"I think I've had just about enough of this mixed up world!" said Nessie. She tried to pull the hedges apart with her bare hands, only to have them grow back.

"I doubt that will work," said Jasper.

Nessie sighed with annoyed submission, "you're right, some rules can't be broken," she sniffed the air, "at least we're away from those flowers; I can finally breathe again."

"A relief at last," said Jasper as he sniffed the air. He then sniffed again more urgently as he picked up a scent, "it's her!" he shouted as he ran head into the maze.

"Now what?" Pence asked.

"It's Aunt Alice!" shouted Nessie as she ran after Jasper, "she's close!"

"Hayner and the others ran after the two immortals, but they had soon lost night of Jasper and Nessie, but the two running vampires had left a clear track in the maze that they could follow.

Here and there a Heartless appeared that Hayner and the others had to fight before moving on, but was easily dealt with.

"If got the feeling that there should be more of those things," said Pence as they ran through the maze.

"Me too," said Hayner, "and we haven't come to a dead end at all."

"It's Nessie and her uncle," said Olette, "they're following Alice's scent through the maze."

"And they're tearing through any Heartless that's standing in their way," said Will.

A few more turns and they had caught up with Hayner and Nessie, who were finishing off a large group of Heartless at the exit of the maze. Hayner and the others helped end the battle.

"She's just beyond this doorway," said Jasper in a slightly desperate tone, "I can feel it."

"Then let's go!" said Nessie. With that they all ran through the doorway.

They found themselves at the entrance to the Queen's courtroom. A trial was in progress, with The Queen of Hearts angrily glaring down at a girl in her late teens. She had pale skin like Jasper, was short and had dark spiky hair and wore a stylish gray and white shirt and hip hugger jeans. The vampire girl had a pixy-like appearance and an aura of someone who loved life for the sake of living, as well as a highly developed fashion sense. But right now the girl vampire, Alice Cullen, looked like she was having a really aggravating day.

"I've told you again and again, lady," said Alice Cullen in an irate tone, "I'm not _that _Alice!"

"But your name _is _Alice," said The Queen of Hearts, "therefore you must be _the _Alice who has been causing so much trouble on my world. And you will refer to me as 'your majesty,' or, 'my queen,' or else, young lady."

"You're not my queen," said Alice as she stubbornly crossed her arms, "I'm not from this world. You have no authority over me."

"But you are here," said The Queen of Hearts, "and I rule over all that exists on this world."

"That still doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do!" snapped Alice defiantly.

"I can because I say so!" snapped the Queen of Hearts, "and you, Alice, you will pay the ultimate price for leading those Heartless to my world. Yes, I know that they were after you all along, and therefore you are responsible!"

"Lady, you're crazy," said Alice, "first of all, I'm just trying to get back to my family. I had nothing to do with The Heartless messing around in this toppsy turvy world. Second, I only just got here like an hour ago, so I had nothing to do with The Heartless trying to steal your heart, even though I have no idea why anyone would want it, rotten as it is. And third, and most importantly, I'm not _that _Alice! Just because we have the same name doesn't mean we're the same person."

"Silence!" snapped the Queen of Hearts, "you are _that_ Alice because I say you are! And I say you are guilty! And I say off with her head!"

Several card soldiers then closed in on Alice with their pikes raised. She then sighed with annoyance, "I don't need to see the future to know where this is going. You want me dead? Fine, I'll save you the trouble." Her face then froze and she collapsed to the ground and remained perfectly still.

"What?" The Queen of Hearts asked, "what is this?"

The White Rabbit cautiously hopped over to the unmoving Alice, tentatively felt for a pulse and found none, "my queen, she's dead."

"Dead?" The Queen of Hearts asked in a dumbfounded tone, "But how? Her head is still on!"

"I wish I had an answer for you, your majesty," said the White Rabbit, "but I have none. Oh dear, this is not good."

"But how can she be dead if her head is still on?" The Queen of Hearts asked, "better take it off, just to be sure."

"Yes, my queen," said the White Rabbit. He then signaled to two Card Soldiers, "get to it."

"No!" shouted Nessie as she ran into the room and threw the two Card Soldiers to the other side of the room as if they were merely nothing. She then glared up at The Queen of Hearts, "you stay away from my Aunt Alice, you stupid, fat lady!"

At that all the Card Soldiers and The White Rabbit gasped in shock and terror.

"What!" exclaimed the Queen of Hearts, "What did you call me?"

"You heard me, you bloated, pompous, bad tempered old tyrant!" snapped Nessie, "I won't let you hurt my Aunt Alice."

"Just because you're in a position of authority," said Jasper as he walked forward and stood next to Nessie, "doesn't mean you can recklessly use it. Power should be used for the benefit of those who don't have it; to protect the innocent and defend the helpless."

"What he said," said Hayner as he, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava walked forward and stood next to Nessie and Jasper.

"Who are all of you miscreants!" snapped The Queen of Hearts. "And what are you doing on my world! I'll have your heads for this outrage!"

At that Alice stood up and glared up at the Queen of Hearts, "over my undead body."

At that all the card soldiers screamed in terror and ran for their lives, while The White Rabbit ran towards the Lotus Forest, shouting, "Zombie! She's a zombie come to take our souls!"

"Oh for crying out loud," said Alice, "it's like they've never seen a vampire before."

"They probably never have," said Jasper as he and Alice embraced, "I'm just glad that you're alright."

"I'm glad you're both alright," said Nessie as she hugged them both.

"I was wondering when you'd decide to come in," said a smiling Alice. She then looked at Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava, "and you guys, nice to meet my niece's friends. I can imagine how you're feeling to be in the presence of real vampires."

"I'm not exactly sure how I should be feeling right now," said Hayner.

"Well you can relax," said Alice, "we're vegetarian vampires."

"I already told them that we only hunt animals," said Nessie, "they're totally cool with it," she looked at Hayner and the others, "right, guys?"

"Would we be here if we weren't?" Pence asked.

"Even if we were freaked out by vampires," said Olette, "we'd still be here, because Nessie is our friend."

"And you're our friends too," said Will to Alice and Jasper.

"I knew you'd say that," said a smiling Alice, "in fact, I've already seen that we're all going to get along."

"Have you seen where Aunt Rosalie, Uncle Emmet, mother, father and Jacob's pack are?" Nessie asked.

"I wish I did know where Bella, Edward and the others are," said Alice, "and you know I can't see anything concerning shape shifters."

"I thought you could see the future," said Pence.

"The future based on people's decisions," said Alice, "it's great when you're play chess, not so good when the one you're playing against can read minds though."

"That's right," said Nessie, "when my father and Aunt Alice play chess, they would sit there for hours, him reading her mind and she seeing his moves before he made them, it's hilarious."

"But what I can't see are shape shifters like Jacob," said Alice, "my power works best on vampires because I am a vampire, and it works pretty well with humans because I used to be a human. But wolves like Jacob and his pack aren't either human or vampires, so I cannot see them in my mind. Any vision of the future involving those shape shifting mutts, no offense, Nessie, I just can't see them, like a blind spot in my mind."

"Well, nobody's perfect," said Olette.

"Excuse me!" snapped the Queen of Hearts, "but we're in the middle of a trial here!"

"Oh go suck an egg, you twit," said Alice, "I don't have to put up with this kangaroo court any more."

"I'll call Vivi and we can all beam up to the ship," said Hayner as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Wait," said Nessie, "just hold it a second, Hayner." she looked at Aunt Alice, "have you seen any gold keys while you were here?"

"Keys like this," said Pence as he, Olette and Nessie held up the ones they've found.

"Oh, those things," said Alice, "I haven't seen here yet, not in the real world, but…" she paused as if lost in thought.

"She's seeing the future," said Nessie.

"What is it?" Jasper asked, "what do you see?"

At that the Queen of Hearts screamed in rage, "I'll have all of your heads if you keep ignoring me!"

"I'd listen to her," said the White Rabbit, "she means business."

"So do we," said Alice as she blinked, "but right now we have to get ready for the demon battle."

"What demon battle?" Hayner asked.

"We're going to meet the boss demon soon," said Alice, "he'll be here in about ten seconds."

"That's not exactly enough time to get ready," said an exasperated Pence as he, Hayner, Olette, Nessie and Will got their weapons ready.

"I never said it would be easy," said Alice.

Just then a Dark Corridor opened up. From it emerged a tall cat demon that walked on two legs. It had red fur, yellow eyes, a triangular head and whose tail waived back and forth like a snake, "well now," said the cat demon in a refined British accent, "isn't this a warm welcome. I step out to pick up a package from Mr. Graves and look and behold," he waived at Nessie and the others, "I get a welcoming committee for my return."

"What is this!" spat the Queen of Hearts, "where did that cat come from? Somebody better give me an answer or else!"

The cat demon looked at the mad queen, "hmmm, I wasn't supposed to arrive here. I had the Dark Corridor set for the forest, so how in the darkness did I arrive in the presence of the target?"

"What are you talking about?" Will asked, "there aren't any demons in the book."

At that the cat demon laughed viciously, "you stupid humans. You rely so much on your imaginations, yet when someone tries to challenge an ideal that so many believe in, that challenge is fought against with so much energy."

"I don't get it," said Pence.

"He's trying to change the story," said Nessie, "this world, it's somehow connected to the story from my world."

"Precisely," said the cat demon, "I'm here to implant a curse on this world. Said curse will infect the story that's told in so many human worlds. Every time a child reads that story, their minds will be infected with dark magic. Their concepts of right and wrong, their sense of morality, will be ripped apart and their imaginations will ruel their actions. Every violent fantasy, however innocent it may seem in the mind, weather it be playing 'Cowboys and Indians' or a pirate fantasy, or a war fantasy, anything involving violence, will come to life. The children will think they're living the fantasy, and they will act out that fantasy in the real world."

"No!" said Will, "you can't do that! A child's imagination can be so powerful that they can be lost in it without dark magic. But if you make the children think their imaginations are real, then they can cause chaos in the real world."

"You catch on quickly, young man," said the cat demon, "yes, every child will be able to commit acts of violence, but they will believe it only a fantasy, unaware that they'll be committing acts of wonton destruction and murder on their peers and elders."

"That's horrible!" said a shocked Olette.

"That's demon ideology for you," said an angry Jasper, "there's nothing more dangerous than a child with an out of control imagination."

"Which is why we need to stop it before it starts," said Alice, "I've seen what happens if we don't; believe me, it's not a pretty sight."

"That's enough!" snapped the Queen of Hearts, "I've had just enough of all of you!" she glared at the card soldiers, "off with all of their heads!"

"But, my queen," said the White Rabbit timidly, "the trial…"

"Forget the trial!" said the Queen of Hearts, "it's time these wretched peons learned to respect my authority!" she glared at the card soldiers, "off with their heads! All of them! NOW!"

The card soldiers advanced on our heroes and the cat demon.

"How tedious," said the cat demon. It then blasted the card soldiers with green bolts of dark magic from his eyes, scattering the card soldiers across the room.

"I'll start the corruption of this world by removing the biggest annoyance," said the cat demon as he looked at the Queen of Hearts, "with the pompous cow."

"What?" exclaimed the Queen of Hearts.

"You can't do that!" said the White Rabbit, "the law says that anyone who threatens the queen is to immediately lose his head."

"As if you could do anything to stop me," said the cat demon.

"But we can," said Nessie as she and the others stood between the demon and the Queen of Hearts, "we'll stop you from ruining the story and corrupting the minds of children across the universe."

"And if we have to save the head and heart of this decapitation-obsessed maniac," said Will as he indicated the Queen of Hearts, "then so be it."

"She's an essential part of the story," said Kirjava, "we don't have to like it, but that's how it is."

At that the cat demon laughed viciously, "and just what can children do to stop me?"

"Children?" Jasper asked, "for your information, I'm over 160 years old."

"I'm not as old," said Alice, "but I'm definitely not a child."

"I happen to be a lot younger than I look," said Nessie, "but I'm definitely no kid, not like the kind you're thinking of."

"And we're more than kids," said Hayner, "not after all that we've been through."

"But we're young at heart," said Olette, "and as long as you're young at heart, you're never really old."

"What she said," said Pence.

"So you might as well take your curse and shove it!" said Will.

"And shove your plans of corrupting the minds of children as well," said Kirjava.

"Well then," said the cat demon, "I'll just have to ensure that you're destroyed," he then summoned a box made of black wood that was carved with demonic symbols, "this contains the curse that will bring about so much chaos. Once I open it, there'll be no stopping the dark magic."

"Well then," said Alice, "I've got one thing to say to you, kitty cat," he then looked like she had just seen something horrible. She pointed to something behind the cat demon, "What the hell is that!"

"What?" the cat demon asked as he turned around, only to see the Queen of Hearts, sitting at the judges' seat, looking like she was both really confused and really angry, "that old thing?"

"_Accio _box!" shouted Olette as she aimed her staff at the cursed box. It flew out of its hands and landed in hers.

The demon looked back at our heroes, "yes, the Queen of Hearts, she's hideous, yes, but…"

"But what?" a grinning Alice asked as Olette held up the black wooden box.

"What?" the cat demon asked as he looked down at his empty hands, then glared at Alice and the others, "how did you do that? I was only distracted for an instant!"

"And instant is all that's needed," said a grinning Olette, "when you've got magic."

"And we're way smarter than you," said Alice.

"Villains are so stupid sometimes," said Will, "it's astounding."

"You should write a paper about it," said Pence, "like for a medial journal or something."

"I might just do that," said Will.

"Oh really?" the demon asked, "well then, I'll bet that you can't figure out how to remove the curse on it."

"Oh yes we can!" said Nessie, "I studied with magic users, so I'm sure I can figure out how to dispel a curse."

"Or we can just break the box," said Pence as he grabbed the box from Olette.

At that Alice tensed as she had another vision of the future, "wait, don't!"

Pence heard her warning too late. He threw the box to the ground, and it smashed into hundreds of pieces.

"Oh no," said Alice, "That exactly what I was trying to avoid."

"What?" Pence asked, "all I did was break the curse."

"The curse wasn't on the box, you stupid human!" shouted the cat demon, "it was _in _the box, and now the curse has been released!"

A cloud of black smoke rose from the box that pulsed with dark magic.

"What do we do?" Will asked, "what can we do to stop this?"

"There's nothing you can do!" said the cat demon as he laughed viciously, "this world will be corrupted! As will be the minds of children everywhere!"

"I don't think so!" said Nessie, "everyone! I'm going to try and contain the curse!"

"What can we do to help?" Hayner asked.

"Just keep the fur ball busy," said Nessie, indicating the cat demon, "if this is going to work, I'll need complete concentration."

"We'll keep the demon busy," said Alice, "but are you sure you can do this?"

"I won't know if I don't try," said Nessie.

"Wait," said Pence, "have you actually done anything like this before?"

"Not for real," said Nessie, "I've seen it done and read the writings on how it's done, but have I ever contained an active curse? No, but that doesn't mean I can't."

"Well, just be careful," said Olette.

"She knows what she's doing," said Jasper, "right now she needs us to do what we have to do."

"As if you can stop what's happening," said the cat demon as he summoned several Neo Shadows and other types of Heartless.

"We certainly can!" said Jasper, "Hayner, you and your friends are to defend Nessie! I want Hayner, Will, Kirjava and Pence on a box formation, with one of you at each corner, with Olette providing magical support!"

"We'll take care of the rest," said Alice.

"You fools!" said the cat demon, "you're only delaying the inevitable!" he ordered the Heartless to attack.

Hayner, Pence, Will and Kirjava formed a defensive perimeter in the form of a square around Nessie, each of them striking out with their weapons at any Heartless that threatened them, while Olette shot out spell after spell. At the same time, Jasper and Alice ran among the throngs of dark creatures, moving so fast that when they delivered damage to the attacking Heartless, it took a second or two for the damage to take effect and the creatures were destroyed after they were attacked.

All the while, Nessie stood with her eyes closed and hands held at her sides, chanting a counter spell. Blue flashes of magic began forming around her body like static electricity.

"It's useless to persist!" said the cat demon as it summoned more and more Heartless, "you cannot win!" More and more Heartless got past Jasper and Alice and attacked Hayner and the others in waves.

"Oh yes we can!" said Hayner as he, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava fought even harder to keep Nessie safe against the attacking Heartless.

"We've got something you demons can never understand!" said Olette as she blasted the waves of Heartless with every spell she knew, "friendship and love!"

"And that makes us strong!" said Pence as he bashed harder against the attacking Heartless.

"And if you can't understand that," said Hayner as he stabbed faster against the attacking Heartless, "then you're just an idiot with no real heart."

"And we'll just have to take you down!" said Will as he stabbed and slashed at the attacking Heartless, while Kirjava bit and clawed at them.

"Darn right!" said Kirjava.

By now Nessies' whole body was crackling with magic. She raised her hands as they glowed blue. She opened her eyes, which were also glowing blue with magic. She then shouted the finishing word to her spell and a pulse of magic shot out from her body. The blue magic slammed into the black cloud of the curse and the dark magic began to break up, eventually fading out of existence.

"And that's that," said Nessie as she collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, with Will and Olette catching her. The young half vampire was out cold and snoring loudly in their arms.

"She used up so much energy," said Will, "she's completely out to lunch."

"The power required to dispell that curse must have been incredible," said Olette.

"Well, she's earned it," said Hayner, "if anyone deserves to sleep after saving a world, it's Nessie."

"Ain't that right," said Pence.

Just then the cat demon roared with rage, "you impudent humans and vampires! I'll swallow your souls for this!"

"There are some to say that vampires have no souls," said Jasper, "my brother Edward used to argue that."

"But then Bella came along and changed everything," said a smiling Alice.

"Too pad you're about to lose your souls!" said the cat demon, "I'm going to destroy you all!" he then created a sphere of dark magic above his head, "this will create a black hole that'll rip you all apart! I just need to throw it at you! Don't bother trying to catch it, you'll just get sucked in faster!"

"I think not!" said Alice. She ran at the demon and bit it on the neck. The cat demon screeched with agony and collapsed to the ground, it's curse dissipating as his concentration broke.

"Demon blood," said a disgusted Alice as she spat said vile liquid out from her mouth, "revolting."

"That's not exactly how I would have ended that," said Jasper.

"Well it's the only way I could see that could save everyone," said Alice, "if that demon threw that mini-black hole at us, we wouldn't be here right now."

"You could have run away from it," said Olette.

"That curse was a black hole," said Will, "not even light can escape from one, so what makes you think a vampire can run away from it?"

"Oh, right," said Olette.

Meanwhile, the demon was writhing on the ground in agony, screaming it's vocal cords out.

"What's happening to him?" Pence asked.

"Vampire venom," said Jasper, "one bite is enough to change a human, but while it won't change a demon, the venom is still extremely painful. A while ago I would have let it suffer," he ran over to the demon and ripped its head off, followed by its arms and legs, "but that was before I regained my humanity, all thanks to my darling Alice."

"It's true," said Alice as she and Jasper stacked the demon body parts. She pulled out a lighter and ignited the demon parts. It burned to ashes within seconds, "Jasper and I complete each other."

"That's nice," said Olette.

"Can someone kindly tell me what in my world is going on?" the Queen of Hearts asked.

"We just saved your sorry behind, lady," said Alice, "and don't you forget it."

"I think we've done all we can do here," said Hayner as he looked around and was satisfied that no more Heartless were around, "so I think we can call Vivi and we can go."

"Wait!" said the White Rabbit as he hopped over, "wait, I hope I'm not too late!"

"What is it?" Pence asked.

"You were looking for a gold key," said the White Rabbit as he pulled something out from his pocket, first his watch, then he pulled out something else, something that turned out to be a gold key with seven gems inlaid in it.

"Where did you find that?" Will asked.

"It was in the hedge maze," said the White Rabbit, "the queen has been so eager to renovate the world, someone had to makre sure that no one got hurt. I was walking the maze and there it was, in one of the rose bushes." He handed the key to Will, "it doesn't open any lock on this world, so you might as well have it."

"Well, thanks," said Will as he took the key, placed it on a string and then placed it around his neck.

"I demand that someone explain things to me!" snapped the Queen of Hearts.

Just then the Cheshire Cat appeared in mid air above the White Rabbit, "I believe that now would be a good time for you heroes to make your departure, unless you prefer to stay and risk losing your heads."

"I'm partial to agree with him," said Jasper.

"Yeah, good idea," said Hayner as he pulled out his cell phone and called the ship in orbit, "Vivi, standby to transport."

"Six to beam up," said Olette into the phone, "plus two guests."

"Rodger!" said Vivi over the phone, "transport when ready."

Jasper picked up Nessie, who was still sound asleep, "we're ready here," he said, while Alice nodded in agreement.

"And so are we," said Olette, while Hayner, Pence, Will and Kirjava nodded in agreement.

"Vivi," said Hayner, "beam us up."

A few seconds later they were all aboard The Voyaging Light.

"Vivi," said Hayner, "this us Alice and Jasper, Nessie's aunt and uncle."

"They're coming with us," said Will, "and they'll help us find the rest of Nessie's friends and family."

"Welcome aboard," said Vivi to Jasper and Alice.

"We're glad to be hear," said Jasper.

"Wow," said Alice as they exited the transporter room, "nice ship."

"It is cool," said Hayner, "Nessie's room is that way."

"I'll just deposit the sleeping beauty in her room," said Jasper as he carried Nessie to her room.

"So where to now?" Pence asked as he, Hayner, Olette, Will, Kirjava and Alice went to the bridge.

"Well," said Hayner, "we've got four keys now and found two of Nessie's family."

"We've got our choice of where to go," said Olette.

Pence looked at the holographic map of the worlds and saw one that looked like a desert world, one with a huge Arabian palace, "that place looks promising."

"Agrabah," said Olette as she read the data on the world, "sounds promising."

"Then what are we waiting for," said Hayner, "Vivi, set course for Agrabah."

"Setting course," said Vivi.

At that Alice gasped in surprise as she had a vision of the future, smiling with eager anticipation.

"What is it?" Jasper asked as he walked onto the bridge, "what did you see?"

"That would ruin the surprise," said Alice, "just wait until we get to where we're going next. How's Nessie doing?"

"Sleeping like a baby," said Jasper, "she'll be ravenously hungry when she wakes up, and thirsty as well."

"Speaking of thirsty," said Pence cautiously, "are you two…alright….blood wise?"

"We hunted just before the travesty on our world that resulted in Nessie being kidnapped by Gideon's minions," said Jasper, "from our point of view, that was only a few hours ago, so Alice and I will be alright for a few days or so."

"Hopefully this desert world will have enough animals for you guys to hunt," said Olette.

"There's always plenty to hunt," said Alice, "if you know where to look."

"That's comforting, I guess," said Hayner.

"Oh," said Jasper, "just out of curiosity, has anyone the answer to The Hatter's Riddle? I'm just curious."

"You mean 'why is a raven like a writing desk?'" Will asked, "I think it's one of those riddles that just don't have an answer."

"Oh yes it does," said a grinning Alice, "the answer is 'Because it can produce a few notes, though they are very flat; and it is nevar put with the wrong end in front!'"

"'Nevar?'" Pence asked.

"Raven spelled backwards," said Alice.

"Oh," said Pence. The ship then jumped into hyperspace, destination; Agrabah.

**The end of chapter 2.**

Next chapter switches us back to Team Sora as they arrive at Beasts' Castle and meet someone of incredible importance to Jacob, while facing another of the insidious League of Evil Exes. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	3. Chapter 3: Belle and Bella

_Before we get started I'd like to once again thank all of you readers and writers for your support of my stories. I do appreciate all the great reviews you've left, especially now, what with all the stress in my life, the most recent being my falling out with my beta reader. We simply disagreed on too many issues, one of which his outright hatred of Twilight. There's very few stories about vampires that I truly enjoy, not counting the Dracula films, and there's also Buffy and Angel, Joss is boss after all. When I first heard about Twilight, I thought it was just another vampire story. Then I read the book and was hooked before the end of chapter 1. I then read New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, all within a matter of days, which is a pretty good record for me, especially since I read Deathly Hallows in 26 hours. Now, about my beta reader, we just couldn't get along. He kept saying disrespectful things about me and my writing style, accusing me of being an ignorant, untalented teenaged brat with no sense of hard work. I'll have you all know that I am none of these things. Sure, I have more than my fair share of problems in my life, but I put a lot of hard work into my stories. Yes, they're not perfect and sometimes I make mistakes in grammar and editing, and some of my ideas are way outside the box. I know that there will always be some people who will dislike my stories, some may even hate them. But that's life. I tried to explain this to my beta reader, telling him all about my problems in hope that he would understand why I am the way I am. I also pointed out that from what he'd been saying about me in our communications, he thought himself mentally and emotionally superior to me and had a vastly more developed imagination. He kept claiming, as he always had, that he was only trying to help me be a better writer, to make my stories the best they can be. Well, if being a better writer means being more like him, then I don't want to be better, not if it means changing my writing style to fit his vision of a writer._

_I simply told him that I am what I am. I then offered some constructive criticism of my own, since he was so fond of pointing out his ideas of faults in my stories. He constantly accused me of having too much description and not enough detail. I told him that his stories had too much detail and were overall overwritten. He then responded with a tirade about how much work he puts into his stories and that he was better educated than me and so on, while also using a lot of verbal insults that I don't care to repeat. I admit that when I responded to his insulting email, I also insulted him, calling him unreasonable, overbearing and longwinded, and a lot of other bad names that I regret saying, but there were other things that I wish I had said. I should have said that he was an overachieving perfectionist and downright cruel._

_I admit that my stories don't always make sense and I do leave a plot hole here and there, but I always tie it up eventually. Not everything in stories has to make sense at first. How would you all feel if in Sorcerers/Philosophers Stone, that Dumbledore told Harry why Voldemort wanted to kill him, instead of waiting until Order of the Phoenix? I personally would have felt cheated a bit. Another example; Doctor Who. How would you feel in each episode of Doctor Who the mystery of the episode was explained right from the begining? You'd also feel cheated, I know I would._

_All in all I'd say that after all the ranting and insults I've endured from my former beta reader, I'd compare him to The Angry Video Game Nerd or The Nostalgia Critic, or anyone from **that guy with the glasses . com **, but then I'd be insulting people whose opinions I value. With my former beta reader, since he has no respect for me, I feel no obligation to respect him. There's a lot more I wish to say about my former beta reader, but since he's cut all communications between us, I see no reason to say them. But I know he's still out there, and if he's reading this, he should know that I'm still going to keep writing my stories as I see them in my imagination. They're not perfect, they won't win any awards, and if a real world critic were to review them, they'd probably get panned. But I'll still write nonetheless because writing makes me happy, and as long as one person likes my stories, if I can bring a little happiness to that person's life with my stories, then it'll make everything worth wile, and there's nothing that can take that away from you for listening to me rant like this. We now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfiction._

* * *

><p>Last time found Team Hayner exploring the insanity that is Wonderland. After one bizarre encounter after another, including a meeting with the Cheshire Cat, Nessie and her friends met up with her immortal Uncle Jasper, whom was having tea with The Mad Hatter, The March Hare and the Dormouse. Afterwards, they found Nessie's Aunt Alice, whom was enduring the verbal wrath of The Queen of Hearts. We then met the demon that was attempting to corrupt Wonderland so that all those who read the books connected with the world would have their hearts corrupted as well. Nessie used her own magic to dispel the curse the demon used, exhausting herself in the process, while Alice finished the demon off. With another key that unseals the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis found, Alice and Jasper signed on as members of the crew and the gang headed off for the next world, Agrabah. 'Nuff said, on with the show!<p>

**Chapter 3: Belle and Bella**

"We're approaching the next world," said Sidney.

"Beasts' Castle," said Sora, "but by now he's no longer a beast, I hope."

"So, this guy is a human who got turned into a monster because of his beastly behavior?" Jacob asked.

"And could only turn back to normal when he learned to love someone and be loved in return," said Kairi, "I've heard the story before."

"And all because an enchantress decided to pay a visit one day," said Riku.

"Enchantresses can be so mean sometimes," said Tess, "I can think of less gruesome ways to teach a lesson."

"Not all enchantresses are mean," said Lyra, "remember, I'm on very good terms with a whole clan of witches in my world."

"Wish we were on good terms with some witches," said Sora.

"We should go back to The Realm of Magix someday," said Kairi, "see how Bloom and the others are doing."

"We should revisit all the worlds we went to," said Riku, "like The Hidden Leaf Village and Dream Valley."

"We could catch up with Luffy and his crew," said Sora, "by now they must be in The Grand Line, searching for One Piece."

"And to that other Earth," said Aiden, "and see how Usagi and the other Sailor Senshi are doing."

"You can't honestly expect us to think that you're not thinking about your world?" Kairi said, "about your friends, Kaylee and Travis."

"There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about Kaylee and Travis," said Aiden, he looked at Lyra, Pan and Jacob, "they're my best friends back home, and by now they're surely State Alchemists, which is good and bad."

"Why's that?" Pan asked.

"It's good because they have access to funds and research materials that normal alchemists in The State don't have," said Aiden, "and bad because a State Alchemist has to do whatever the government and military tells them to do," he sighed with annoyance, "even if it means doing things that you'd later regret. There's a lot of rumors and urban legends back home about State Alchemists being ordered to murder innocent people and start wars, all on the orders of The State. These people, mostly, were just following orders, but there's some State Alchemist who are cold hearted, remorseless maniacs who delight in using their abilities to cause pain and suffering among the masses."

"We met a few alchemists who weren't like that," said Kairi, "Linda and Robert."

"And let's not forget Ed and Al," said Riku.

"Those two may just be the ones to clean up the bad blood in the State Alchemist organization," said Aiden, "but…"

"Don't even start!" said Riku, "yes, we know that you can't go home until you find all of the Princesses of Heart."

"We're going to have to tie you up and throw you into a portal in order to get you to go home," said an annoyed Kairi.

"Oh, that's something I'll gladly help with," said an eager Tess.

"You'll have to catch me if you want to tie me up," said Aiden, "but you can relax. We've already met five of the new seven; Sara Lancaster, Usagi Tsukino, Miley Stewart, Lyra Silvertone and Renesmee 'Nessie' Cullen."

"We know this," said Sora.

"Well," said Aiden, "I've got a feeling that the last two Princesses of Heart, we're going to meet them before too long, like, real soon."

"How's that going to happen?" Riku asked.

"I don't know," said Aiden, "I'm making it up as I go along, pretty much as we all are."

"So, we're either going to have to go looking for them," said Sora, "or they'll come to us."

"And who knows how long that'll take?" Kairi asked.

"I may be able to shorten the waiting time," said Lyra as she took out her Alethiometer.

"That's not completely reliable," said Tess, "that L guy said that the items that the enemy uses to control Nobodies are interfering with your gold compass."

"We have been destroying the Uridium rings when we find them," said Sora, "but that Gideon guy has been bringing in more."

"Which is why we need to ask what we need to know from The Alethiometer while we still can," said Lyra, "before the demons and other evil ones take away it's effectiveness," she sighed, "it's really not fair. When I first got the Alethiometer, I soon found that I was a natural with it. I lost that talent when Will and I first kissed, but I got the knack back not too long ago, and now I'm going to lose it again."

"No you're not," said Kairi, "we've still got time, so just try your best."

"Which is all that anyone can do," said Tess, "they're best."

"We believe in you, Lyra," said Riku, "you and all your abilities."

"Yeah," said Sora, while Aiden and the others nodded in agreement.

"It's hard to doubt yourself," said Pan to Lyra, "when you've got friends like these backing you up."

"You're right," said Lyra as she gave Pan an everyone else a reassuring smile, "I'll do it," she sat down with her Alethiometer in her hands as she moved the smaller wheels around the clock face of the golden compass, forming the question in her mind that she spoke aloud, "who are the last two Princesses of Heart?"

The larger hand of the Alethiometer then seemed to go crazy, spinning around the clock face, stopping at the symbols and moving on so quickly that it was barely more than a blur.

"I think it's broken," said a worried Aiden.

"I think we broke Lyra," said Jacob, "she's just sitting there."

"She's completely dead to the world," said Kairi as she waved her hand in front of Lyra's focused eyes, "she's lost in her trance."

"What could the Alethiometer be telling her?" Sora asked.

For nearly fifteen minutes the all watched Lyra as she studied the actions of the Alethiometer. But then she snapped out of her trance, "that…" she said in an exhausted tone, "that was…intense."

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked.

"I think so," said Lyra as she tried to stand up, but lost her balance and fell down, a dizzy look on her face, "no, I'm not."

"Just stay put for a while," said Riku, "you'll be fine soon enough."

"Never mind that," said an anxious Aiden, "what did you see?"

"Do you know who the last two Princesses of Heart are?" Tess asked.

"I'm not sure," said Lyra as she tried to get her vision to stop spinning, "the Alethiometer, the answer was so chaotic, so random, I could barely make sense of half of it."

"I guess you have lost your knack again," said Aiden in a depressed tone.

"No," said Lyra in an insisting manner as she finally stood up, "there were some clear parts of what I saw. I kept seeing flashes of Earth, or, different Earths."

"I think that's it!" said Kairi, while a light bulb lit above her head, "that's what's linking all the new Princesses of Heart together!"

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.

"And what's with the light bulb?" Aiden asked.

"An attempt at humor," said Riku.

"Don't you get it?" said Kairi, "Sara, Usagi, Miley, Lyra and Nessie, they're all from different parallel Earths. That means…"

"That the last two Princesses are on parallel Earths as well," said Riku, "of course! Why didn't I see it before?"

"Because sometimes we need kicks in the head in order to see the bigger picture," said Roxas as he and Naminé walked onto the bridge, "but that's not important right now."

"So we have a better idea of where to look," said Naminé.

"But that really doesn't narrow it down much," said Aiden, "there's countless parallel Earths out there, how do we know where to look first?"

"I'm still trying to make sense of what The Alethiometer told me," said Lyra, "a lot of it was just…so unclear."

"You'll figure it out soon," said Pan, "you always do in the end."

"I do," said Lyra, "but sometimes I don't understand what I'm supposed to understand before it's too late to make a difference."

"Let's hope that this isn't one of those cases," said Riku.

Just then Sidney appeared before our heroes, "we're now in orbit around Beasts' Castle."

"I hope that things are alright down there," said Sora as they headed for the transporter room.

"Same here," said Kairi, "but we won't know until we go down there."

"Well I'm ready for anything," said Tess as she cracked her knuckles.

"Same with me," said Jacob, while Quill and Embry nodded in agreement, "we'll handle whatever it comes."

"You know something," said Sora as they reached the transporter room, "I never learned Beast's real name. We fought so many battles together, but I really don't know who he is."

"I'm sure Belle knows by now," said Riku, "either way we'll ask when we see them."

"Well I've never met them," said Aiden, "so I'll leave the tender reunion parts to you guys," he rubbed his wrists in his own manner as they all got onto the transporter pad, "alright, let's do this!"

"Energizing!" said Sidney. With that our heroes beamed down.

They arrived in the Courtyard outside the castle, right in the middle of a horde of Heartless. Thousands of Neo Shadows, Large Bodies, Gargoyle Soldiers, Gargoyle Knights, Lance Soldiers and Hook Bats had covered the whole area, with only a small area for our heroes to find themselves surrounded in.

"This isn't exactly what I had in mind," said Aiden as our heroes quickly got their weapons out and fought for their lives as the throngs of Heartless.

"Just when are we ever going to get a break?" Sora asked as he fought off a pair of Gargoyle Soldiers.

"I honestly don't know," said Kairi as she dueled a Lance Soldier, then swatted a Hook Bat out of the air.

"I'm just as tired of fighting all the time as you are," said Riku as he and Tess fought off several Gargoyle Knights.

"I'm still new at this," said Lyra as she and Pan fought off several Neo Shadows.

Just then a Crimson Jazz appeared and began expanding.

"Oh not this thing again!" said Sora, "everyone look out! That guy shoots out fire spells that home in on you!"

"What?" Tess asked as the Crimson Jazz shot an exploding fireball at her. She tried to get out of the way, but the fireball followed and detonated next to her, knocking her down.

Riku ran over and helped her up, "I'm fine," she said, even though she was singed and slightly dazed from the blast, "I'll admit, that sucked."

"I'll bet it did," said Riku, "so allow me to pay that thing back," he tried blasting the Crimson Jazz with his Dark Aura, but the creature expanded again, briefly becoming invincible. It then shot another seeking fireball at Tess, but this time Riku blocked it with his Dark Aura.

At that time Jacob, who had shed his clothing and phased into his wolf form, attacked the deflated Crimson Jazz with Quill and Embry. The three oversized wolves ripped the large, spell slinging Heartless into pieces.

But then more Heartless appeared. "I think we're in trouble," said Roxas as he destroyed more and more Heartless, but more kept coming.

"We're not in trouble until we're officially in trouble," said Naminé as she blasted several Neo Shadows with spheres of white magic.

Still, more and more Heartless appeared, threatening to overwhelm our heroes.

"Okay," said a now nervous Naminé, "now we're in trouble."

"We're not done yet!" said Sora as he stabbed a Neo Shadow, then blasted several Hook Bats out of the air with a Thunder spell.

"I think these creeps have other ideas," said Aiden as he fought a Gargoyle Knight.

Just then Sora heard a familiar roar. He looked up at the castle balcony and saw The Beast jump down and began ripping into the throngs of Heartless.

"Beast!" shouted Sora, "am I glad to see you!"

"I wish I could say the same thing to you and your friends, Sora," said Beast as he slashed a Neo Shadow out of existence, then ripped a Gargoyle Soldier in half, then grabbed a Lance Soldier and threw it at more Neo Shadows, "whenever you're around, there's trouble."

"We're Keyblade Wielders," said Kairi, "trouble is our middle name."

"We're really close," said Tess in a teasing manner, "like family."

But then something else happened. Something else jumped down from the castle balcony, something that moved so fast that it was a blur as it ran through and decimated the ranks of Heartless, with the dark creatures self destructing seconds after the blur passed them.

"Now what?" Aiden asked as he and the others watched the blur turn the tide against the Heartless horde.

"That," said Beast, "is someone who probably has something to do with you all, or at least, what she said she was hoping to find."

"She?" Riku asked.

Just then Jacob, who had phased back to human form and had somehow gotten dressed again, "I'll tell you who she is," said a grinning Jacob, who looked more happier than he had been in a while, "she's my best friend." At that Quill and Embry nodded in eager agreement.

"You mean…?" said Kairi.

By then there were no more fresh Heartless in the area. The blur stopped in front of our heroes, revealing herself to be an extremely beautiful woman. She appeared to be just shy of 19, with long, straight brown hair and gold eyes and flawless pale skin. She wore a simple white shirt and blue jeans and brown boots. She looked at Jacob and smiled brightly.

"Hi, Bella," said Jacob.

"Hi, Jacob," said the woman, or rather, vampire, Bella Cullen.

"You're Nessie's mom?" Sora asked.

"What do you know about Renesmee?" Bella asked Sora in an anxious tone, "where is my daughter? Is she alright? Tell me!"

"It's okay, Bells," said Jacob, using a term of friendly affection, "they're friends, and Nessie's with friends as well."

"But where is she?" Bella asked, "I have to know if she's safe!"

"I can assure you, Mrs. Cullen," said Lyra, "your daughter is as safe as she can be. Right now she's teamed up with someone whom I trust with my life and soul."

"And that's saying something," said Pan.

"Did that pine martin just talk?" Bella asked, "Jacob, what's going on?" she then looked at Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess, "and aren't these the kids that Nessie's been dreaming about for the past couple months?"

"Trust me, Bella," said Jacob, "they're friends."

"Well, I do trust you," said Bella, "but how can I trust them? They've been haunting my daughter's dreams."

"Well your daughter has been in our dreams as well," said Aiden, "she was always running away from us and we had to chase after her."

"That's not how Nessie's dreams were," said Bella, "she was surrounded by these dark things, these Heartless, now that I know what they are, and you kids always saved her with those weird swords of yours, those…what are they?"

"Keyblades, Mrs. Cullen," said Riku.

"Keyblades," said Bella, "got it, and call me Bella, everyone does."

"If I may interrupt," said Beast, "there's still the matter of why my home is still threatened by Heartless."

"It's a long story," said Sora, "but what I want to know is why you're still a beast? I thought that since you and Belle love each other, you'd be human again."

"That's also a long story," said Beast.

Just then a foul laughter filled the air. There on the steps to the front door to the castle appeared a demon with six arms and eight eyes in its head, while its whole body was covered in short, coarse black hair, giving it the appearance of a spider.

"You won't be telling any stories after we're done with this world!" laughed the spider demon.

"Oh yeah?" Sora asked in a daring tone, "and what are you going to do to stop us?"

"We've beaten everything Gideon's thrown at us," said Kairi, "we've foiled all of his plans!"

"There was the time we saved Mulan's world form the demons who wanted to exploite the resources of The Land of Dragons," said Aiden, "and then we stopped Hades from escaping from the Underworld."

"That was his own plan," said Riku, "but it still counts for our record book."

"We also saved Atlantica from being polluted," said Kairi, "and we stopped Gideon from destroying Pixy Hollow, so whatever your plan is for this world isn't going to work, spider brains!"

"Oh, Mr. Graves has no plan for this world," said the spider demon, "it's Maleficent who wants it destroyed."

"Then we'll foil her plan as well," said Tess.

"You don't get it," said the spider demon, "Maleficent may want the world destroyed, but it's Mr. Graves who has plans for this creature here," he pointed to Beast.

"And what does your master want with me?" Beast growled menacingly.

"Oh, the usual," said the demon in a nonchalant tone, "he wants you to lose all trace of your humanity and become a mindless monster for him to control."

"Like that'll ever happen!" shouted Sora, "Beast got his humanity back when he fell in love with Belle, and she loved him back!" he looked at Beast, "but why are you a beast again? And just what is your real name? You never told me it."

"You never asked," said Beast. He then glared at the demon, "I'll give you this one warning; get out of my world, and take your Heartless with you, now!"

"I'm afraid I cannot leave without delivering what Mr. Graves wants," said the spider demon, "and Mr. Graves always gets what he wants."

"I think you've got cobwebs between your ears," said Bella, "and your boss is just as crazy. He stalked and kidnapped my daughter, and just when my family and I were about to get her back, that evil, evil man, he separated all of us," she walked up to the demon and glared at him with murder in her golden eyes, "right now I am one seriously irate undead mother, and I want to take that angst out on something breakable, and right now I'm looking at you."

"Oh, but you're not going to attack me," said the demon as he smiled viciously, "in fact, my comrades and I are going to leave this area with what we came for."

"You're delusional!" said Riku, "Beast is still human at heart."

"You've won nothing!" said Tess.

"Oh but we have!" said the demon, "for you see, this gargantuan Heartless battle was but a distraction, to lure Beast outside."

"Well, here I am," said Beast as he walked up to the spider demon with his claws ready to shred the demon, "if it is a fight you desire, I'll be more than happy to oblige!"

"Same with all of us," said Sora, while Riku, Kairi and the others nodded in agreement.

"There won't be any fighting," said the spider demon, "you fools! While Mr. Graves wants the beast as a pet monster, what my comrades and I came here to do involved taking that which he cares for the most."

"What!" raged Beast.

"That's right!" said the demon, "my comrades and I are here to take Belle!"

Just then the front door to the castle opened up, with a beetle-like demon being thrown down the stairs. It landed face first in front of the spider demon, "we've got a problem, chief," said the beetle demons in a slightly dazed problem.

"What sort of problem?" the spider demon asked in an annoyed tone.

"The target is turning out to be harder to capture than we thought," said the beetle demon.

Just then another beetle demon was thrown down the stairs, while two more manhandled Belle to the doorway.

"Get your filthy claws off of me!" snapped Belle as she struggled to free herself from the creatures, "let go of me!" she then kicked one beetle demon in its shin, forcing it to release her. She then tried to punch the other beetle demon, but then four more grabbed her by the arms and legs.

"Belle!" shouted Beast.

"Say and do nothing more, animal," said the spider demon to Beast in a vicious vindictive tone, "or your girlfriend gets the axe!"

"If you hurt her…!" raged Beast, "I'll…!"

"Didn't I just say that you'll do nothing?" the spider demon asked, "if you want to see her alive again…"

"Wait a second," said Kairi, "you said you were going to take away Beast's humanity away by taking away the one he cares about the most, who is Belle. That means you're going to kill her."

"That's right!" shouted Belle, "don't listen to these creeps, Allen! They're going to kill me anyway, so kick their buts!"

"Your name is Allen?" Sora asked Beast.

"We'll worry about that later," said Jacob, "right now let's save the girl and kill the demons."

"And how are you going to do that, freak job?" the spider demon asked.

"I'll tell you exactly how we're going to do that," said Jacob. He then looked like he had just seen something terrifying, "what in the name of all things sacred is that horrible, horrible thing?" he then pointed off to the left.

"What?" the spider demon and the beetle demons asked as they looked left. This was all the distraction needed. Bella ran up to the beetle demons, destroyed them all, picked Belle up like she was made of paper, ran over to Beast and gently placed her next to him, all in the blink of an eye.

"What the…!" exclaimed the spider demon. He looked around and realized that Belle wasn't there, while the beetle demons were also gone. "How did you…?"

"Never underestimate a vampire," said Bella, "you might just regret it."

"I will say it again," said a still angry Beast, "get off of my world, now."

"You bastards!" snapped the spider demon, "you…alright!" he spat in reluctant acceptance, "I'll take my leave, for now."

"Then get lost already!" said Aiden.

"I'm not done talking yet, you idiot!" said the spider demon , "I said I'd leave, but not forever. I'll be back to fulfill my mission for Mr. Graves, for Mr. Graves always gets what he wants."

Just then Tess picked up a piece of pavement that got knocked lose from the battle and threw it at the demon, hitting it on the head, "just get out of here, you creep!"

"Bitch!" snapped the demon as he felt where the rock hit him, "I'll kill you for that!" with that he formed a Dark Corridor and walked through it and it closed up after him.

"Good riddance to bad rubbish," said Tess.

"Yeah," said Riku, "but it said it would be back."

"So we'll kick it's ass again," said Aiden, "and the asses of whatever that demon brings with it."

"Darn right," said Pan, while Lyra nodded in agreement.

"You've certainly made some…interesting friends, Sora," said Belle.

"They're alright," said Sora, "but what's going on here? I thought you and Beast would have had your happy ending by now?"

"We did," said Belle in a regretful tone, "and we were happy, until the Heartless came back."

"Oh, that's right," said Sora, "I never sealed this worlds' Keyhole. We'll have to find it before we do anything else."

"It must be somewhere in the castle," said Beast, "exactly where, I do not know."

"We'll all look for it," said Kairi, "and we can swap stories along the way."

"In the meantime," said Riku as he looked at Bella, "i'd just want to say thanks, for all of us, for helping."

"We weren't in serious trouble," said Roxas."

"Yes we were," said Namine.

"Actually," said Bella, "you guys were doing pretty well. Even without Beast helping, you probably would have won. I only jumped in because i'm upset about losing Nessie and being thrown out of my world, I felt like breaking something in order to relieve my angst, and Heartless, while evil, are breakable, and satisfying to break."

"I'm with you on that," said Tess.

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"So you intend for The Beast to be your own pet monster?" Maleficent asked as she and Gideon Graves headed to the lower levels of the castle.

"Well you have that thing that used to be the cursed form of Pantyhose Taro," said Gideon Graves, "that Mark 2 Chimericon."

"And just how did you know about that?" Maleficent asked in an accusing tone.

"My intelligence gathering skills are awesome," said Gideon, "but enough about me, my dear mistress of all evil."

"Let us clear the ways between us, Gideon Graves," said Maleficent as she suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor, "we are merely business partners in a joint venture to bring about the darkness to all of existence. You have no hold over me whatsoever."

"Are you sure of that?" Gideon asked in a daring tone.

"I know so," said Maleficent, "your attempts to place me under your control have been…amusing…to say the least."

"You know?" Gideon asked as he broke out in a slight nervous sweat..

"I knew the second your pet demon, The Negotiator, arrived and offered me exactly what I needed," said Maleficent, "I thank you for the Uridium needed for the Nobody control rings. I also thank you for providing me with the excuse to cast aside the Hakonians. They've served their purpose and are no longer needed."

"So you know everything," said Gideon.

"I knew that you sought to place me enthrall to you," said Maleficent, "I can assure you here and now; no one in existence can control me."

"Then this means our partnership is at an end?" Gideon asked cautiously.

"Not in the slightest," said Maleficent as she gave Gideon a disarming smile. She and Gideon continued walking down the corridor, "as I said, your attempts to enthrall me have been amusing. But the time for such games has ended.

"So far all attempts to locate The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis have failed, despite the massive incursion of Heartless and demons onto the realms of light. Also, all attempts to capture Kairi, the one Princess of Heart who is also a Keyblade Wielder, have failed. This is so because we have been playing games with each other, and so the games must stop."

"On that we agree," said Gideon in a serious tone, "already several of the world-ruining strategies I've launched have ended with disaster, some because of the Keyblade Wielders, others due to a bunch of amateur heroes who just happen to have a half-vampire freak on their side."

"A half vampire who also happens to be one of the new Princesses of Heart," said Maleficent, "while another has joined forces with Sora and his companions," she summoned an image of Nessie and one of Lyra. These were joined by images of Sara, Usagi and Miley.

"Five of the seven have been identified," said Maleficent, "and if your plan to use all seven to open a door to Limbo and release your god, Kira, then it is essential that Kairi, the one whom you wish subvert to the darkness and capture all seven Princesses, and the Keyblade Alchemist who can identify the last two Princesses, be brought here for those purposes. All other 'projects' of yours must be put aside until the two Keyblade Wielders essential to the plan be captured."

"I won't argue with you," said Gideon, "but the heroes, both veterans and amateurs, are proving to be rather troublesome. I'm open to suggestions as to get those kids here."

Just then The Negotiator, or rather, the second Negotiator, since the first one committed suicide recently upon news of failure, teleported next to Gideon, "forgive my intrusion, Mr. Graves, but the spider you sent to Beast's Castle has returned with grave news."

"Let me guess," said Gideon, "the Keyblade brats showed up and ruined everything."

"in a nutshell," said The Negotiator, "yes. I have a full report prepared, and the spider demon is in a holding cell waiting to be interrogated."

"That idiot shouldn't have abandoned his assignment!" said Gideon, "he should have called for help, instead of running away. Terminate the loser, immediately."

"At once, Mr. Grave," said The Negotiator as he bowed, "but…who is to take over operations on Beast's Castle?"

"Who's available?" Gideon asked.

"I'll check," said The Negotiator as he pulled out his PDA. But then several messages appeared on the screen, "oh, it seems that the operations on Neverland and Wonderland have also failed."

"You have got to be kidding me!" raged Gideon, "I'm surrounded by incompetent idiots!"

"If I may suggest, Mr. Graves…" said the Negotiator.

"You may not!" said Gideon as he gripped the handle of his cane, "you'll never suggest anything ever again!" he drew from his cane a katana sword and used it to decapitate the pinstriped demon. The head and body of The Negotiator dissolved into slime that soon evaporated.

"Useless bureaucrat," said Gideon as he sheathed his sword, "I should never have chosen that one for my personal assistant." he sighed with annoyance, "oh well, at least the next one will be an improvement."

Just then a dark corridor opened up and from it emerged a third Negotiator demon, "what do you wish of me, Mr. Graves?" he asked as the Dark Corridor closed.

"You can start where your predecessor left off," said Gideon, "by getting rid of the spider demon who failed to bring me Beast to be my new monster project."

"Yes, Mr. graves," said the Negotiator as he picked the PDA the second Negotiator dropped when he lost his head.

"And while you're at it," said Gideon, "get someone to find and bring back Roxie and Todd. Those two have been off the leash for far too long."

"At once, Mr. Graves," said the third Negotiator.

"Those two are part of your personal band of villains?" Maleficent, "what is it now, 'The Guild of Evil Exes."

"The _League _of Evil Exes," said Gideon, "it's true, we all fell for one special girl, who rejected all of us. But that's in the past, we're all so over Ramona Flowers. That idiot, Scott Pilgrim, he's welcome to Ramona. They can enjoy the hell out of each other for all I care. It doesn't matter. Once Lord Kira is free, all of existence will be purged of love and happiness once and for all."

"That is shall be," said Maleficent, "that it shall be."

* * *

><p><strong>...Beast's Castle...<strong>

"I can't believe that everyone else was enchanted as well," said Sora as he, Beast and the others combed the castle for the Keyhole, "Cogsworth, Lumiere, Mrs. Potts and Chip, they're all items again."

Sora and his friends had told Beast, Belle, and Bella, everything concerning the new uprising of Heartless, the demons and their master Gideon and the golden keys that unseal the talisman. As of now, after finishing his their story, our heroes haven't found the Keyhole in the upper levels of the castle and were now heading into the Secret Passage connected to the West Hall.

"Exactly what's been happening here, Beast?" Sora asked, "I mean, Allen…"

"My name is not important," said Beast, "not when I'm like this." the entered the Secret Passage, "As to how I became like this again, it is…complicated."

"The last petal on the rose fell about a week after you left, Sora," said Belle, "the enchantment broke and everyone and everything in the castle returned to the way it was before. Allen and I were married soon afterwards," she displayed a gold wedding ring with a large diamond on her hand.

"Now that is a rock," said an impressed Tess, "one of my father's regular customers in his barber shop was a jeweler who did a lot of work for Phobos, until that maniac had the jeweler killed over a slight mistake in a commissioned work."

"That's a nice ring," said Bella, "not as pretty as mine," she held up her own wedding ring, "but pretty none the less."

"Pretty my eye," said Tess as she got a closer look at Bella's ring, "this is a work of art."

"Well," said Bella, "when you fall in love with a century-old vampire, you quickly find out that you have access to all sorts of treasures, in more ways than one."

"As I was saying," said Belle, "things were perfect, but then The Heartless came back, with a vengeance. The fact that the demons were with them didn't help things either."

"And there was nothing I could do to stop them!" snapped Beast as he slammed his fist against the wall, "I couldn't protect my home or the ones I loved. We all had to leave the castle and hide like animals in the forest outside, and The Heartless chased after us."

"We took shelter in the mountains," said Belle, "but it was only a matter of time before we had to run for it again. Allen then told me he wished he was The Beast again, if only to have the power to keep us all safe, to protect his world, his friends and most of all, to protect me.

"That's when the enchantress appeared before us. She said she heard Allen's wish and that it was a sincere one made from his heart. She offered to give Allen the power to turn into The Beast, and to turn human again at will, all so he could protect all that was precious to him."

"She offered me another enchanted rose," said Beast, "she told me that the second I held it in my hands, the power would be mine, but it came with a price. I can only be like this for less than a day at a time. Any more and the change would be fixed, and I would remain a monster with a human heart for another ten years, before the rose began to wilt again.

"I knew the risks, that I may end up fighting the dark creatures longer than the prescribed time, but the alternative was too horrible to even consider. I took the rose from the enchantress, and instantly I was transformed. The strength, the speed, the power of The Beast, it was back, and I used it to drive the Heartless and the demons out of my home."

"That's when we found out that Cogsworth and the others were also enchanted again," said Belle, "and they would be while Allen was The Beast. They turned back to normal when he turned back, and that's pretty much how things were up until a few hours ago."

"That's when I showed up," said Bella.

"What happened to you, Bella?" Jacob asked, "last I saw, you, Edward and the others, you were running towards Nessie and me."

"It was Gideon," said Bella, "that curse of his blasted all of us. I lost sight of you and Renesmee, then the blast hit Edward and me. We tried to stay together, but the dark magic was too fast, even for vampires. There was a flash and I was falling, and then I was here on this world.

"The first thing I saw was those Heartless attacking the castle. Some of them attacked me, so I ripped them apart. That's when I met tall, dark and furry here."

"We fought many Heartless in that battle," said Beast, "I admit that I was…envious of her abilities."

"I'm not that special," said Bella, "in terms of fighting, I'm mediocre at best."

"You're not that bad, Bella," said Jacob.

"You remember how I was as a human, Jake," said Bella. She looked at Sora and the others, "I'm not ashamed to admit that I was a total klutz and very accident prone. Combined with that I was terrible at all sports, and that I was dating a vampire and had a werewolf for a best friend, it's a miracle I survived as a human as long as I did."

"How did you guys deal with Bella being a vampire?" Sora asked Belle and Beast.

"Not well at first," said Belle, "there's all sorts of stories about the undead from where I grew up. They're all just stories, but I was horrified to actually meet a vampire."

"You wouldn't believe how hard it was to convince them that I was a vegetarian vampire," said Bella, "but I did. After that things were calm here for a while and we were talking about Shakespeare."

"She's got all the plays and sonnets memorized," said Belle in an impressed tone, "line for line, word for word."

"And I know all the Jane Austin books," said Bella, "I knew them mostly by heart before I changed, and completely memorized them after becoming immortal. And my daughter, she…" she suddenly looked like she was about to be consumed by grief, "Nessie, she learned to read so fast, it was kinda frightening, that she was growing up so fast. We all thought she'd grow old and die before she really had a chance to live," she smiled brightly, "you won't believed how relieved we all were when we found out that Nessie's just as immortal as the rest of us."

"And shape shifters can live as long as they want," said Jacob. "Oh, and before you ask, Bella, Quill and Embry are stuck as wolves."

"Somehow they can't phase back into human," said Riku, "something about bring wolves when Gideon blasted all of you."

"You're kidding," said Bella.

"I wish we weren't," said Jacob, while Quill and Embry nodded in agreement.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," said Bella, "I really am, but right now I'm more worried about my daughter. Call me selfish if you want but all I want is to focus on finding my daughter before we even think about you marrying her," she then looked at Quill and Embry, "and getting you guys back to normal. Call me selfish, call be crazy, but right now I'm pretty damn upset over losing Renesmee."

"We're going to find Nessie, Bella," said Jacob.

"We already know where she is," said Kairi, "well, not exactly where she is, but we know she's safe and with friends."

"We're all going to meet with them once we have all the keys that unseal The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis," said Riku.

"But she's not here!" snapped Bella, "you kids don't get it, I've been with Renesmee almost all of her life since I woke up as a vampire. Even when it seemed that we were going to be forced apart, when it looked like we were all going to be ripped to pieces and burned, I still had hope that we would still be together.

"And now she's gone! My daughter, whom I love more than my own life, was torn away from me because of one man's insane greed, and now my little girl, my Renesmee, is off on some harebrained adventure doing god knows what!"

"Nessie can take care of herself," said Jacob, "she's fine."

"You're only saying that because you know it's what Renesmee would want you to say," said an irate Bella, "and stop calling her Nessie! Why I let you keep that stupid nickname is a mystery to me!" she looked at Sora and the others, "this idiot here," she pointed at Jacob in an accusing manner, "he dared to name my daughter after the Loch Ness Monster!"

"Bella," said Jacob in a hurt tone, "I…"

"Don't you 'I' me!" snapped Bella, "this…this is all your fault!"

"Yes, it is my fault!" snapped Jacob, "it's my fault that Gideon targeted Renesmee in the first place! It's my fault that she got kidnapped, and it's my fault that we all got blasted across time and space! Anything else you want to blame me about, bloodsucker?"

At that Bella looked like she was the one hurt on the inside, "Jake, I…"

"Don't _you_ 'I' me," said Jacob, "that's it, we're done! We're done being friends and we're done being family. You can find Nessie all on your own!" he glared at Riku, "call the ship, I'm going back up! And so are my pack mates!" At that Quill and Embry growled in agreement.

"Uh…sure," said a dumbfounded Riku. He, Sora and the others had been watching the argument with stunned silence, not sure how to react to two best friends, both of them mythical creatures, fighting.

Riku pulled out his cell phone and dialed The Intrepid Heart, "Sidney, three to beam up."

"Everything alright down there?" Sidney asked.

"More or less," said Riku hesitantly, "there's been some bad words thrown about, and Jacob and the wolves are sitting the rest of this adventure out."

"Say no more," remarked Sidney, "I'll beam them up when he's ready."

"We're ready now," said Jacob.

"They're ready now," said Riku.

"Energizing," said Sidney. Two seconds later Jacob, Quill and Embry were transported up to the ship.

"Oh god," said a remorseful Bella, "I…I didn't mean to hurt him like that."

"Friends argue all the time," said Aiden.

"This is worse," said Bella, "even after all this time, after all we've been through, I'm still hurting my best friend. He loves me so much, and I love him, but I'm still ripping his heart out and shoving it back in upside down," she slammed her fist against the wall so hard it caused a large crack to form along the wall, up to the ceiling and caused part of the ceiling to fall onto Aiden's head.

"Damn it!" said Aiden as he felt where the piece of masonry hit his head.

"Oh, jeeze!" said Bella, "I'm so sorry!"

"No," said Aiden in an annoyed tone, "it's not your fault. I blame myself for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Or maybe the wrong place at the right time," said Lyra as she picked up the piece of ceiling. Embedded in the masonry was another gold key.

"What an incredible irony," said Kairi as Lyra broke the key from the masonry, dusted it off, threaded a string through the key and placed it around her neck.

"That makes five for us," said Sora, "with the three that we know the others have, that makes eight."

"Five more and we can go get the talisman," said Kairi, "and then we can finish this and everyone can go home."

"In the meantime," said Riku as he called The Intrepid Heart again, "we can fix another problem," the call connected, "Sidney, put Jacob in the phone."

"He doesn't want to talk," said Sidney.

"Well put him on anyway," said Riku.

"He still doesn't want to talk," said Sidney.

"You tell Bella," shouted Jacob in the distance on the line, "that we're finished, for real this time!"

"Okay, that does it," said an annoyed Kairi. She grabbed the phone from Riku, "Sidney, beam Jacob and the wolves back down."

"I can't," said Sidney, "They're not on the transporter pad. I could do a site-to-site transport, but my programming forbids me from transporting a member of the crew against their will."

"Well do it anyway," said Kairi. She then adopted a serious manner of speaking, "Sidney, this is Kairi, my authorization code is Tango Hockey X-Ray 1138. Transport Jacob, Quill and Embry down here right now."

"Authorization code accepted," said Sidney, "I'll probably hate myself in the morning, but I'll do it. Transporting now."

"What did you do?" Sora asked as Jacob and the wolves materialized with a surprised look on his face, "and what's an authorization code?"

"I'll tell you later," said Kairi. Just then Jacob was beamed down to the Secret Passage.

"What the…!" exclaimed Jacob, while Quill and Embry looked around in confusion.

"Don't argue with me," said an irate Kairi, "you need to listen to me and listen good," she glared at Bella, "and you too! Both of you have to stop this! You're fighting over something completely stupid! We didn't ask for Nessie to get involved in this, but she's here in the realms and that's that."

"None of us asked to be involved," said Riku, "fate chose all of us for a reason."

"We don't have to like those reasons," said Aiden, "but they're there."

"But some of us actually want to be here," said Tess, "fighting the darkness. Some of us believe it's destiny."

"And some of us are here because there was no one else to go at the time," said Lyra, while Pan nodded in agreement.

"If sure that if Nessie was given the choice," said Sora, "she'd come here and help fight the darkness."

"But…" said Bella in a frustrated, "but…she's only five! Yes, she looks much older, but she's sill a child."

"But she's more grown up than we are in some ways," said Jacob in a calmer manner, "and like Sora and the others said, Nessie's with friends who'll keep her safe. And I trust Sora and the others to keep their word."

At that Bella looked liked she had lost a major battle, but she accepted it, "I guess there's nothing I can do about it right now, so I might as well go with it." She held out her hand to Jacob, "friends again?"

"We never stopped being friends," said Jacob as he eagerly shook Bella's hand. They then clasped both hands, then they exchanged hugs. He then gasped as Bella hugged him harder than he was hugging her, "Bella!…Air!"

"Oh, sorry!" said Bella as she hastily let Jacob go, "Sorry, Jacob!"

"It's alright," said Jacob as he felt where Bella accidentally cracked his ribs.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked, "I can take care of that in a heart beat."

"I'm fine," said Jacob, "just give me a second…" he sighed with relief, "there, shape shifter healing."

"I envy you sometimes," said Tess, "I had to carry these horrible scars all over my body for the longest time."

"But I took care of that," said Kairi.

"And I'll always be grateful for that," said Tess, "now, if only we can find that Keyhole."

Just then her Keyblade appeared and dragged her to the Undercroft.

"I think we're onto it!" said Riku as he and the others chased after Tess.

She was in the middle of the Undercroft with her Keyblade pointing to the left-hand wall, "I got dragged in here," she said, "but now my Keyblade is pointing at nothing."

"I'll bet that the Keyhole is behind the wall," said Sora, "Beast, is there like a secret passage in here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Beast

"Well we won't find the Keyhole if we just stand around doing nothing," said Riku, "if it's behind the wall, then we need to search the wall." With that he, Tess and the others began checking the wall for any sign of a hidden door, or anything that would conceal the Keyhole.

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"We've finally found him, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator.

"About freaking time," said Gideon as he and Maleficent returned to the throne room, "send his vegan ass up here." He then saw that Maleficent was glaring at him in an 'I beg your pardon?' manner.

"With our gracious hostess's permission of course," Gideon added.

"It is granted," said Maleficent as she sat on her dark throne.

"The vegan jerk is on his way up," said The Negotiator as he sent a message through his PDA.

A few minutes later two black suited demons frog-marched a tall man in his late 20's, with short spiky blond hair, heavily muscled and wearing a white shirt with a black 3 on the front and white pants and black and white wrist bands.

"Todd Ingram," said Gideon in an admonishing manner, "I'm really pissed at you right about now."

"Gee, is it that obvious?" Todd Ingram asked in a sarcastic manner, he then looked at Maleficent, "and who's the babe?"

"You dare…!" said an enraged Maleficent as she stood up and prepared to blast Todd with dark lightning.

"I've got this," said Gideon to Maleficent. He then glared at Todd, "she happens to be the boss around here, and you will show her respect, or else, got it?"

"She's not my type," said Todd in an indifferent tone, "so, you gonna tell your goons to let go of me?" he indicated the two black-suited demons still holding onto him.

"Take five, boys," said Gideon. The two demons released Todd and walked out of the room.

"That's better," said Todd, "now, what's up?"

"What's up?" Gideon asked in an irate manner, "What's up? I'll tell you what's up! I'm very close to having you thrown into a tar pit face down! Just what the hell have you been doing since we got to the realms?"

"I was doing my own thing," said Todd, "what, you gonna punish me for that?"

"I should!" said Gideon, "I ought to wring out all your blood with a steamroller. I brought you back to life after Scott Pilgrim killed you, all so you could serve the darkness, not do whatever the hell you wanted to do."

"Well I did it," said Todd as he idly admired his own muscles, "and what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to make you do your job, you narcissistic bastard," said Gideon, "you are to go to Beast's Castle and wipe those Keyblade Brats out of existence! And you're also going to bring Beast here so he can be my own pet monster."

"And why should I do that?" Todd asked, "I've got better things to do, like work on my base guitar. I'm hoping to get back together with Envy Adams, reform Clash at Demonhead."

"How quickly you forget," said Gideon, "I seem to remember an incident where Scott Pilgrim tricked you into drinking coffee that had half'n'half, which alerted the Vegan Police and they took away your powers, leading to Scott to head butting you into oblivion."

"What are you getting at?" Todd asked.

"What I'm getting at," said Gideon, "is that I brought you back from the dead at my own expense. And what makes you think that Envy would take you back? She's no longer in the darkness, all thanks to Scott Pilgrim. He set her free by killing you, so the chances of you getting back with her aren't so great."

"So?" Todd asked, "I'll just find another girl with reasonable singing talent, corrupt her to the darkness and make her a star."

"You still don't get it," said Gideon, "I gave you your life and powers back, and I can take it away whenever I want. So if you want to keep living, you'll do what I say!"

"Alright, you've made your point," said Todd, "I'll go, but you owe me a new base guitar."

"You can buy your own damn guitar when the job is done," said Gideon, "that'll be your reward, being able to buy it. Now get to it! Or I'll be in the market for a new addition to the League of Evil Exes!"

"Since you're in the market," said Todd, "how about replacing those idiots, Matthew and Lucas. They're already dead."

"They're still useful," said Gideon, "which is why I'm bringing them back, just like I can bring you back again, and again and again and again. I can kill you myself," he gripped the handle of the sword hidden in his cane, "it'd be so easy to take your head off, then resurrect you, and then repeat." He drew his sword, "so what's it going to be, Todd Ingram? Life or an endless cycle of death and forced rebirth?"

"I'd prefer life," said Todd, "so, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to do what I told you to do, you arrogant ass!" snapped Gideon, "go to Beast's Castle, kill the brats and bring me the beast! Now get going!"

"Sheesh," said Todd, "don't have a brain hemorrhage over me, I'm going," he walked towards the door and stopped at the doorway to turn back and wink at Maleficent, "later, toots," with that he left.

"Of all the insolent minions!" snapped Maleficent.

"I know," said Gideon, "he has an attitude problem. The only reason he's even in the League of Evil Exes is because of his failed relationship with Ramona," he paused in thought, "as soon as we're done with this whole mess in the realms, I'll look up Ramona and Scott and settle old grudges."

"For your sake you'd better achieve your goals," said Maleficent, "my patience is wearing thin."

"All will be within our grasp soon," said Gideon, "Todd may have his faults, a lot of faults, but his powers make up for them a lot."

"For your sake, you had better be correct about that," said Maleficent, "for if your plan doesn't succeed, then you will be the first to suffer."

"Naturally," said Gideon. With that he bowed and left the room, with The Negotiator quickly following him.

"I'm afraid we're running out of time, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator as they hurried through the corridors, "now that we know that the plan to place Maleficent in thrall in you has failed…"

"It doesn't matter," said Gideon, "I never really had any desire to have the mistress of all evil as my slave. I just needed her on my side long enough to get things ready for Lord Kira's return."

"But without Maleficent under control," said The Negotiator, "she could turn against us."

"I'd be surprised if she didn't," said Gideon, "but first we need to ensure that everything is ready. We have to capture Kairi and Aiden, and we need to find The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis. It's the only thing that can prevent Lord Kira's return."

"That's another matter that you need to attend to," said The Negotiator. He showed Gideon his PDA, "our spies have discovered a hidden vault on Traverse Town, a vault with thirteen locks."

"What good does that do us?" Gideon asked, "unless that's where the talisman is."

"It's a distinct possibility," said The Negotiator, "all attempts to open the vault, while avoiding detection from the local population of Traverse Town, have so far failed. It seems that the thirteen locks must be opened first, with thirteen keys."

"Didn't your reports from Olympuss Collesium and all the other worlds the pathetic heroes have visited say that they each found some sort of key?" Gideon asked.

"A gold key on each world," said The Negotiator, "and the Keyblade Wielders and those other heroes, the one with the half vampire in the group, they've been finding them."

"Then we need to find the keys as well," said Gideon as he smiled viciously, "all we need is to find just one key and make the brats come to us in order to get it. In fact," he looked away as if in thought, "I'll bet there's one of those keys on Traverse Town."

"If the brats know about the vault," said The Negotiator, "then they're sure to come to it for the final key. I'll put our best minions on it; find the key and prepare a trap at the vault."

"That's a winning plan if I've ever heard one," said Gideon, "wait…Todd is going to the world the Keyblade Brats are on, he needs to know about this!"

Just then the Negotiator's PDA chimed with an incoming message, "he just took a Dark Corridor to that world," the demon said in a remorseful tone.

"It can't be helped," sighed Gideon, "but the other group of brats are still running lose. Find Roxie and send her after them. And get someone to find the Katayanagi twins while you're at it."

"It'll all be taken care of, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator.

* * *

><p><strong>…Beast's Castle…<strong>

"How long have we been at it?" Sora asked as he and the others kept looking over the wall in the Undercroft.

"Hours," said a bored Aiden, "we've covered every inch of that wall. There's nothing there!"

"But my Keyblade dragged me in here," said Tess, "the Keyhole has to be here."

"Well, we haven't found it yet," said Kairi, "we have to keep looking."

"Where else is there to search?" Sora asked, "the only thing left we can try is to tear the wall apart."

"I could tear that wall down easily enough," said Jacob, "just give me a pry bar and I'll do it."

"Or I could break it open," said Bella.

"Absolutely not!" said Beast, "my home has been damaged enough by The Heartless."

"I think we all need a break," said Belle, "just relax for a while and think things over."

"That's a good idea," said Kairi.

"A great idea," said Bella, "I'm getting thirsty."

"When did you hunt last?" Jacob asked.

"About a day before they took Nessie," said Bella, "so, yes, I could go hunting," she looked around everyone, "unless there's something else I can do to help. I don't mind waiting to hunt."

"Go take care of yourself," said Belle, "we'll be fine."

"I don't think the enemy is going to come back and attack any time soon," said Riku.

"Me neither," said Tess, "if I were the enemy, I'd wait until I had the resources to make a huge comeback, so we've got time. In fact," she looked at Bella, "if you don't mind, I'd like to go with you and watch you hunt."

"I'd like to go as well," said Aiden, "it's not every day you meet a vegetarian vampire, so we might as well learn as much as we can about them."

"I don't think that's such a good idea," said Bella, "a vampire when hunting, even if the prey is an animal, isn't a pretty sight. Edward wouldn't let me see him hunt when I was still human, and for good reason.

"When vampires hunt, they rely on their sense of smell so much that just a whiff of human scent would pull them to the slaughter. If you're there when I'm in 'the zone,' I could…"

"No you wouldn't," said Jacob, "Bella, that first time you went hunting, you caught the scent of humans and you managed to stop hunting."

"I did," said Bella. She looked at Sora and the others, "it's almost impossible for a vampire to stop hunting once they've started. But I realized what I was doing and held my breath while running far enough until I couldn't smell the humans any more. But if you're right there when I'm hunting, then…"

"You still won't hurt them," said Jacob, "if you could avoid killing a human after over five years, you can avoid hurting your friends while on a hunt. Trust me, Bells, you're an extraordinary vampire with an extraordinary heart."

"I'm not that special," said Bella in a modest and slightly embarrass tone, and if she had blood flowing through her veins, she'd be blushing, "sure, I never went through the bloodlust that newborn vampires go through, and I do have a unique power," she sighed in defeat, "alright, anyone who wants to come with me can come. But when you throw up, don't say that I didn't warn you."

"I think we'll sit one out," said Sora, while Riku and Kairi nodded in agreement, "I still want to keep looking for the Keyhole."

"I just want a chance to relax," said Riku.

"And I want to talk with Belle," said Kairi.

"We can talk in the library," said Belle, "I'm sure that Mrs. Potts can bring in refreshments."

With that everyone went about their business. Aiden and Tess followed Bella outside and the three of them walked out to the woods beyond the castle.

"So what now?" Tess asked.

"We go into the woods where i'll sniff out some prey," said Bella, "all you two need to do is keep up with me."

"Sounds easy enough," said Aiden as he rubbed his wrists.

"I doubt it," said Bella. With that she took off into the woods.

"Damn it!" shouted Tess as she and Aiden ran after Bella, barely managing to keep her in sight.

"She's so fast!" said Aiden. "Can't we ever get a break?"

"How should I know!" Tess asked, "I'm still the new girl!"

They chased after Bella for several miles until they found her standing still in the middle of a clearing.

"What's…wrong?" Aiden asked as he and Tess fought to regain their breath.

"Nothing," said Bella, "I'm just waiting for you to catch up," she sniffed the air, "and searching for a scent."

"You smell…anything?" Tess asked.

"Yeah, you two," said Bella, "so could you please get downwind of me so I can focus on finding an animal to kill?"

"Oh, sorry," said Aiden as he and Tess got in position behind Bella as she faced the wind. She sniffed the air again, "there, I smell a herd of deer, and hear them, about a mile in front of me." She took off running again, not making a sound as she rushed through the trees.

"We need to be careful about this," said Tess as she and Aiden chased after Bella again, "if we make too much noise, we could scare off Bella's prey."

"I think I know what that means," said Aiden as he held out his hand. Tess grabbed it and they both became invisible.

"They can't see or hear us now," said Tess as they managed to keep Bella in sight. "I wonder if this works on vampires?"

"We'll find out soon enough," said Aiden. They then saw Bella chasing after the herd of deer. The animals were running for their very lives from the gorgeous vampire. She easily caught up with the herd and tackled one deer.

With the ease of a hot knife through butter, Bella bit into the neck of the struggling deer and began drinking its blood. It wasn't long before the deer's struggles slowed and stopped as its life drained away.

"Wow," said a shocked and amazed Aiden as he and Tess caught up with Bella. She was finishing off the last of the deer's blood, then stood up and licked her lips clean of blood, having spilled only a single drop.

Bella then looked at where Aiden and Tess were, "I don't know how you made yourselves invisible, it's cool that you can, but I can still smell you."

"Really?" Tess asked as she and Aiden became visible again, "I didn't know that."

"Well now you do," said Aiden. He then looked at Bella and the deer carcass that was completely drained of blood, "so, are you still thirsty?"

"I'm always thirsty," said Bella, "but for me it's always manageable." She sniffed the air again, "there's a different herd of deer off that way," she pointed into the wind, "but let's take it easy for now. I don't need to read minds to know that you've got a lot of questions."

"I'm curious," said Tess, "as a whole, what's it like being a vampire?"

"It's definitely not like in the movies," said Bella, "for example; coffins, turning into bats, hating religious objects, garlic and all that stuff that people associate with vampires, all myth. And as you can see," she walked into a shaft of sunlight that shone through the trees, her skin sparkling like diamonds, "sunlight doesn't bother me at all."

"Wow," said Aiden as he looked at Bella's sparkling skin with awe, "that's…impressive," he then got serious, "this has got to be some sort of photosensitive reaction, maybe ultraviolet radiation."

"That's what Carlisle thinks," said Bella, "and why vampires have to keep themselves hidden during the day, unless you're living in a place that's overcast nearly all year round," she smiled as if remembering, "that's how I wound up meeting Edward, by moving to Forks, which has more cloudy days than anywhere else in the Continental United States."

Bella then looked past Aiden with a strange look about her, "is she alright?"

Aiden then realized that Bella was talking about Tess, who was looking at Bella like she was the most beautiful thing in existence. "Tess?" Aiden asked, "are you alright."

"Pretty-pretty," said Tess in a dazed tone, "shinny-shinny."

"Oh," said Bella, "you like shiny things?"

At that Tess shook her head around as if clearing water from her brain, "I knew someone who did a lot of jewelry work, so I was exposed to a lot of shiny things when I was little."

"My daughter also likes shiny things," said Bella she said in a tone of remorseful longing.

"We'll get her back to you, Bella," said Aiden, "I can honestly say that my friends and I are going to do everything we can to reunite you and your daughter."

"Sparkle-sparkle," said Tess as she got lost in the diamond-like luminescence of Bella's skin.

"I think she's seen enough," said Aiden.

"Oh, right," said Bella in an embarrassed tone, "sorry," with that she stepped out of the shaft of sunlight, returning her skin to it's normal paleness. "Sorry."

"It's alright," said Tess, "that used to happen to me all the time when I was little. I thought I was over it."

"Well now I know how to torment you," said Aiden in a mischievous manner.

"Do that and you'll lose something important," said an annoyed Tess as she took out her razor, "it'd be easy to take a few fingers off, or something else that's important to you."

"Just how long are you going to keep those damn razors?" Aiden asked in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

"A razor has many purposes," said Tess as she pocketed her razor.

"Yeah, whatever makes you happy," said Aiden. He then looked at Bella, "so, you ever miss being human? I don't mean any disrespect…"

"It's okay," said Bella, "there are some things I miss, like dreaming. Vampires don't sleep, and therefore don't dream," she smiled in a slightly embarrassed manner, "being able to stay awake all night leads to some interesting times, especially when you're married.

"What else do I miss? I guess I miss eating. Yes, I can chew and swallow, and when I taste, I can taste things I never had before, which makes tasting that much more enjoyable. But once I swallow, the food just sits in my stomach and has to be gotten rid of."

"How does that work?" Tess asked in an uncomfortable manner, as if she didn't really want to ask.

"It's a simple manner of standing on your head," said Bella, "lining up the esophagus and letting gravity taking it's course."

"I wish you hadn't asked that," said a disgusted Aiden to Tess.

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Tess. She then looked at Bella, "aside from the regurgitation, I have to admit that you're the nicest vampire I've met, Bella."

"How many vampires have you met?" Bella asked.

"Just one actually," said Tess, "and that guy was enough."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Aiden. He and Tess then told Bella about their encounter with the Wamphyri Lord, Dmitry Frenzcy, on Metamore.

"That Dmitri wasn't like vampires you hear about in stories," said Aiden, "and not on TV or in the movies."

"This thing looked like was part bat and part wolf and had glowing red eyes," said Tess, "and he could change his whole body."

"He tried to suck out our friends blood and life force with these weird pseudo-tentacles," said Aiden, "and he could fly."

"I've never heard of a vampire ever being able to actually fly," said a disturbed Bella, "we can run like the wind and jump huge distances, but not fly. And having this…pseudo-flesh that can change at will, that's just horrific. I hope you took care of this horrible monster."

"We did," said Aiden, "we couldn't have done it if we weren't warned beforehand and had someone tell us how to destroy it, but we did it."

"Wamphyri are susceptible to sunlight," said Tess, "it burns the skin right off of the bastards."

"But to really destroy a Wamphyri," said Aiden, "you need three things. The Stake, The Sword and The Flame."

"A wooden or steel shaft through the heart paralyzes the monster," said Tess, "then you have to cut the head off, exposing the real vampire within, the parasitic leach. Then you have to burn everything."

"Fire is the only way to completely destroy the bastards," said Aiden, "oh, silver works against them as well."

"I've never heard of anything like this on my world," said a worried Bella, "I don't think even Aro and the Volturi have ever faced anything like a Wamphyri."

"Who are the Volturi?" Tess asked.

"They're the closest thing to vampire royalty on my world," said Bella, "they're ancient vampires who maintain the law, while also collecting vampires with unique powers for their own desire for more and more power."

"What law do vampires have?" Aiden asked.

"There's really only one law that merit's the intervention of The Volturi," said Bella, "don't expose yourself to humans," she sighed, "this one time Edward thought I was dead, when I was still human. He wanted to die, permanently, so he went to the Volturi to get them to kill him. They said no, so Edward was going to reveal himself to a huge crowd of humans in full daylight. It was a miracle we got out of it alive."

She looked at Aiden and Tess in a serious manner, "and that thing, that Dmitri, it said that there were others like it out there, and that it sent a message out to its friends."

"But Dmitri said that he was an outcast among his kind," said Tess, "and that it'll be a long time before other Wamphyri would come."

"The Guardians said they'd call us if there was any further trouble," said Tess, "but I doubt we'll have to worry about Dmitri's friends for a while."

"But still," said Bella, "I'd rather not have my daughter exposed to such monsters, we've got plenty of those back home."

"You've think your world is full of monsters?" Tess asked, "try living on mine. You'd be torn to pieces in a week."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Bella. They then came across a large rock that was mostly buried in the forest floor. Bella then grabbed the boulder and ripped it out of the ground as easily as picking up a pebble.

"Wow," said both Aiden and Tess.

Bella smiled and then proceeded to smash the boulder into tiny pieces. "And that's just with regular Vampire strength," she said, "Edward is stronger than I am, and don't get me started on how strong Emmet is."

"We won't," said both Aiden and Tess.

* * *

><p>"So, how do you want to do this?" Sora asked as he, Kairi, Riku, Lyra and Pan, Roxas, Naminé, Belle and Beast, walked through the West Wing of the castle, with Jacob, Quill, Embry, Donald and Goofy having gone ahead to the kitchens for snacks, "if we can't break the wall open, how are we going to get to the Keyhole?"<p>

"I won't have my castle damaged any more than it already is," said Beast in an insisting manner, "I won't!"

"I don't want the castle damaged any more either," said Belle, "but I don't see any other way to get to the Keyhole."

"Just how important is sealing the Keyhole?" Lyra asked, "I mean, you didn't seal it the last time you were here, Sora."

"That's because things were really crazy in the realms," said Sora, "like now. But this time I want to make sure that The Heartless won't be as big a threat to this world."

"A world with a sealed Keyhole can't be destroyed by the darkness," said Riku, "and that's reason enough to tear down one little wall."

"It's reason enough not too!" said Beast, "how would you feel if someone had to destroy your home in order to do something?"

"I'd be very upset," said Riku, "but there isn't a Keyhole in my house."

"We can argue about this until the end of time," said Kairi, "we're never going to decide if we keep going back and forth," she looked at Beast, "and how long have you been like this?"

"Almost too long," said Belle. She looked at Beast, "Allen, you've almost used up your time before you have to turn back to human. Any longer and you'll be stuck again."

"But the enemy could come back at any time," said Beast, "I have to be ready."

"For what?" Sora asked as they reached the Entrance Hall, "I say bring them on! We can handle anything Maleficent throws at us!"

Just then there was a blinding flash of white light. Then Sora and the others were all blasted to the ground by a massive psychic attack.

When they could see again, they all saw Todd Ingram floating a foot above the floor, his body illuminated by an evil white aura, while his eyes also glowed with evil white light.

"Hey, losers," said Todd as he stepped down onto the floor, the evil aura leaving his eyes, "I got yelled at by Gideon because of you, so let's make it quick," he pointed at Kairi, "she's coming with me, and so is the other brat that Maleficent wants."

"No way am I going with you!" said Kairi as she and the others got up, "now way am I going with a creep like you!"

"Hey, babe," said a viciously grinning Todd, "we just met. I'm a nice guy."

"The hell you are!" shouted Jacob as he, Quill, Embry, Donald and Goofy, ran into the area, "you're one of Gideon's Evil Exes!"

"Not just one," said Todd, "the best, in more ways than one."

"We all need to be careful with this one!" said Lyra after checking her Alethiometer, "he has incredible psychic powers!"

"What kind of powers?" Donald asked.

"These kind of powers," said Todd. His eyes glowed white and Donald suddenly found himself floating several feet off the floor.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Donald shouted as he struggled to get back on his own two feet, "put me down!"

"As you wish!" Todd asked. He then psy-blasted Donald up to the ceiling, then slammed him to the ground.

"Hey! That ain't nice!" shouted Goofy. He threw his shield at Todd, but the vile bass player stopped the shield in mid-flight and blasted it back at Goofy.

"Anyone else want to tango with me?" Todd asked.

"I'll dance!" shouted Riku as he shot his Dark aura at Todd. But Todd blocked the blasts with his mind and then blasted Riku.

Riku then got back up and tried to attack Todd directly. Todd then froze Riku in midair, then retaliated by punching Riku in the face.

Something strange then happened; the force of Todd's punch was so strong, it seemed to knock the color out of half of Riku's hair. Instead of his natural gray, half of Riku's hair was white.

"Oh my god!" said Sora and Kairi helped Riku up, "you…you punched the color out of his hair!"

"What kind of sick bastard are you?" Kairi demanded.

"The worst kind," said Jacob, "Todd Ingram is a vegan, which somehow gives him psychic powers."

"And that makes me better than all of you put together," said Todd.

"That doesn't make any sense," said Belle, "if I'm correct, a vegan follows a strict diet of only fruits and vegetables, with no meat, dairy or grains at all. How does eating only fruits and vegetables give you psychic powers?"

_:We can take this jerk if we get behind him: _said Kairi to Sora and Riku.

_:Right:_ said Riku, _:Kairi, you go left, Sora, you go right.:_

_:And you'll take the middle,: _said Sora, _:fine by me.:_

"It'd make perfect sense if you knew the science," said Todd, "but that's for me to know and you to find out, sister," he then looked at Sora, Riku and Kairi, "and don't bother trying to sneak up behind me."

"How'd you know we were going to do that?" a shocked Sora asked.

"We didn't say anything! said Riku.

"But you thought it," said a viciously smiling Todd, "and I can hear all of your thoughts. I know every move you'll make before you make it," he then looked at the growling Quill and Embry, "except for these two mutts."

"So you can't read the minds of wolves," said Jacob, "that's fine with me," he looked at Sora and the others, "you guys hang back; me and the pack have this covered!" without bothering to take his clothes off, Jacob phased into his wolf form.

"Three mutts against little old me," said Todd, "not too shabby. But I prefer to do my killing in a less confined space," he then psy=blasted the front door, blowing it off its hinges and knocking out a good part of the wall as well.

"You filthy home wrecker!" shouted Beast. He then leapt at Todd with his claws raised, "Get out of my house! Get out!"

Todd merely flicked his finger at Beast, psy-blasting him into the staircase, "I'll deal withy you soon enough."

Belle rushed to Beast's side, "are you alright?" she asked in a frantic tone.

"Nothing hurt but my pride," said Beast, "Belle, I have to change back, now!"

Suddenly, Beast was surrounded by swirling rays of magic that returned him to his human form that of Prince Allen.

"That was kinda cool," said Todd as Belle helped Allen stand up, "like I said, I'll deal with you later. I know Gideon has his reasons for wanting you as his own pet monster, but I wouldn't want a pathetic loser like…"

Todd didn't get a chance to finish his insult, for Jacob tackled Todd and forced him out other shattered doorway and down the steps to the courtyard. He got up in time to avoid Quill's bite, then he nearly got bitten on the leg by Embry.

Todd then stood in the center of the courtyard with the three wolves circling him. Jacob and his pack then attacked Todd together. The vile psychic blocked Jacob and Embry, but Quill bit Todd's arm. Todd shook it off as if it were just a scratch, then psy-blasted Quill, only to be bitten on his shoulder by Jacob.

Todd then forced Jacob off his shoulder, blocked Quill, but then was bitten by Embry on the leg. The three wolves then backed off several paces and began circling Todd again.

"Jacob and the other wolves seem to be the only ones able to fight Todd," said Riku.

"But their attacks only seem to scratch him," said Kairi.

"He's probably not as strong against a Keyblade," said Roxas.

"But he'll hear our thoughts and stop us from attacking," said Naminé, "we've got to get around his telepathy."

"Isn't it obvious?" Sora asked as he summoned his Keyblade, "just think of a brick wall and go for it!" he then ran headlong at Todd, keeping the image of a brick wall at the front of his mind.

But then Todd, without looking at Sora, raised his hand and psy-lifted Sora off of the ground, then slammed him against the castle wall.

"I could hear you guys thinking," said Todd as he easily forced Jacob off of his arm, "and while you, pipsqueak," he nonchalantly pointed at Sora, "while you thought of a brick wall, the others were thinking about you attacking me. Admit it," he then backhanded Quill and kicked Embry hard enough to force them both to the ground, "I can't be beaten!"

Jacob then leapt for Todd's head, intending to bite it off, but Quill grabbed Jacob by the jaws and threw him to the ground. Todd then psy-lifted Jacob up into the air and left him hovering.

"I may not eat meat," said Todd, "not when anyone's looking that is, but I have no qualm against fur coats, so I think I'll kill you and skin you," he then began breaking Jacob's bones with his mind, first his forelegs, then hindquarters, causing Jacob to howl in agony.

The unadulterated agony of Jacob's howl echoed through the forest, where Aiden, Tess and Bella were taking their time walking back to the castle. They paused when they heard Jacob's cry of pain.

"Jake," said Bella in a shocked tone. She then ran back towards the castle as fast as her vampire body could run, leaving Aiden and Tess standing there with confused expressions on their faces.

"What was that?" Tess asked.

"I don't know," said Aiden, "but it sounded serious. We'd better hurry."

"Right," said Tess. They still stood there, looking around.

"Do you have any idea where we are?" Aiden asked, "or how to get back to the castle."

"I was following Bella," said Tess.

"So was I," said Aiden. He sighed, "just great, we're lost. Just freaking great."

* * *

><p>"Stop it!" shouted Kairi as Todd began breaking Jacob's ribs, "you're killing him!"<p>

"That's the idea, toots," said Todd, "that's the idea."

"You vicious bastard!" shouted Lyra, "how can you be so cruel?"

"Because it's fun," said Todd.

But then from out of nowhere, Bella ran into the area and punched Todd hard enough to send him slamming into the castle wall. Bella then caught Jacob in her arms before he hit the ground, all in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, Jacob," said a remorseful Bella, "I'm so sorry. I should have been here."

"I think he's alright," said Pan as he, Lyra, Sora and the others ran up to them.

"No he's not," said Bella, "this one time, Jacob was nearly squeezed in half by a newborn vampire. Carlisle had to re-break his bones so they would heal right."

"We won't have to do that this time," said Kairi as she cracked her knuckles, "just stand back while I work my own little bit of magic." She then laid her hands on Jacob's broken body and began healing it. Within seconds the bones began knitting themselves back in the right positions.

"Incredible," said an impressed Bella, "remind me to introduce you to Carlisle; I'm sure you'd both have a lot to talk about."

"I'm sure," said Kairi as she continued to heal Jacob.

Just then Todd recovered and jumped back onto the ground, "Hey! Pasty girl! How'd you sneak up on me like that! I should have read your mind!"

"This jerk is psychic," said Riku.

"Which makes fighting him a real pain in the neck," said Sora.

"Guess that makes me perfect for this situation," said Bella. She then glared at Todd, "you can't hear my thoughts because I'm gifted. Now," she took a menacing step towards Todd, "I could rip you apart myself, but I'm not really that great a fighter, so I'll let my new friends put you out of your misery."

"And how are you going to do that?" Todd asked, "when I know every move they make before they even make it?"

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself," said Bella.

Just then Sora felt a mild pressure on his mind. It wasn't unpleasant, not like an enemy attack, but more like a protective blanked enfolding his mind.

"It's okay now, Sora," said Bella, "you and the others are safe from this jerk. He can't eavesdrop on you any more."

"What did you do?" Riku, "I feel like you're…"

"…shielding us," said Kairi as she finished healing Jacob, "of course, Jacob said you could do that."

"I feel better already," said Sora. He, Kairi and Riku stood together, facing Todd, "you thought you could have your way, creep, well…you're wrong!" He, Riku and Kairi held up their wrists and pressed the red buttons, "_Henshin!_" they all said, and they were instantly encased in their armor.

"So you changed your clothes," said Todd as he glared at Sora in his red armor, Riku in his black armor and Kairi in her blue armor, "big deal."

"It's about to get even bigger," said Riku as he, Kairi and Sora summoned their Keyblades. They rushed at Todd, who psy-blasted Sora and Kairi, but the attack was stopped by Riku's Dark Shield. He then threw his Keyblade at Todd, who deflected it with inches to spare.

Sora then blasted Todd with a Thunder spell, then followed with a Blizzard spell. Todd blocked them all, but then got hit by Kairi several times with her Keyblade.

Todd then blasted Kairi out of the way, but then Riku slashed Todd across his back. Sora then hit Todd with a Fireball. But Todd shook this all off as if it were nothing, then psy-blasted Sora, Riku and Kairi with one massive attack, knocking them all back.

"They're not delivering enough damage," said Lyra, "he has too high a constitution and defense!"

"And our friends can't wear their armor for too long," said Pan.

Just then Aiden and Tess ran into the area, "thanks for leaving us behind!" said an irate Aiden to Bella.

"Sorry," said Bella, "I forgot you were there when I heard Jacob being hurt; vampires are easily distracted sometimes."

"I'll bet," said Tess as she watched Sora, Riku and Kairi fight Todd, "how long has this been going on?"

"Not long," said Jacob after he phased back into human form, "but that Todd jerk is too strong, Sora and the others" won't last long against him at this rate."

"We'll just have to even the odds in our favor," said Aiden as he held up his wrist that had the watch, while Tess did the same.

"Wait," said Bella, "just wait a second."

Aiden and Tess then felt the slight pressure that was Bella using her power to shield their minds, "okay," she said, "you're good to go."

"Thanks," said Tess. She and Aiden then pressed the button on their watches, _"Henshin!"_ and they were both incased in their armor, she in her green suit and Aiden in his yellow.

Tess went invisible while Aiden aimed his Keyblade at Todd, sending a blast of Alchemic energy at the air around the vile vegan.

The air around Todd turned into tear gas that Todd barely managed to jump out of before he was incapacitated. Aiden then transmuted the ground beneath Todd into spikes, which barely scratched him.

"What's with this guy?" Aiden asked as he rushed in to attack Todd, with the villain either blocking or dodging his attacks, or Aiden's Keyblade strikes barely scratching him, "is he on drugs or something?"

"That kinda would make sense," said Kairi as she tried to stab Todd but missed, "if he was on PCP or something."

"I am not!" said an offended Todd, "I never take drugs! Vegans never take drugs! We can have vitamins and herbal supplements, but never drugs like PCP or cocaine."

"I'll bet you are on crack," said Riku, "and marijuana and acid."

"I never take drugs!" shouted Todd as he psy-blasted the four Keyblade Wielders, "I've never taken drugs!"

"Liar!" shouted Lyra as she held up the Alethiometer "you have done drugs!"

"You little blond bitch!" snapped Todd, "I'm gonna tear your head off!"

Just then Tess appeared behind Todd and bashed him on the head with her Keyblade hard enough to knock him down, "you shouldn't say mean things to people, it's rude."

"Glad you guys could make it," said Sora.

"Too bad, losers," said Todd as he got back up, "that you're all about to die," he glared at Kairi and Aiden, "except for these two brats, they're coming with me."

"I think not," said Allen as he boldly walked towards Todd, "these are my friends, and you won't be harming them any more."

"And what are you gonna do to stop me?" Todd asked, "you can't fight me, not without getting completely pulverized!"

"That may be true," said Allen, "I can't fight you, not as I am now." Just then a distant church bell tolled the hour, "but I can now. I can only stay as The Beast for less than a day, but if I return to human form for five or ten minutes, I can then turn back into the monster at the start of the next hour," the bells stopped ringing, "and that time is now!"

With a swirl of magic, he became The Beast again, "now," he growled, "let us finish this!" He leapt at Todd. The vile vegan tried to block Beast with a psy-shield, but Beast slashed through it with his claws. Beast then slashed Todd across his face, delivering several deep lacerations that bled freely.

"Oh gross!" said Bella as she held her nose, "Villain blood stinks almost as much as demons do."

"You prick!" snapped Todd as he felt the cuts on his face, "you've ruined me! Half of being a rock'n'roll star is looking good for the fans!"

"When I'm finished with you," said Beast, "you'll never harm anyone again, let alone play music!" he then slashed Todd's left arm, "you defile my home with your insidious desires!" he slashed Todd's right arm, "You threaten my friends and the one I love more than my own life!"

Beast then slashed both of Todd's legs, causing the vile vegan to fall to the ground, "You try to abduct an innocent girl from her one true love! For that and so much more, I should rip you into pieces!"

"Then do it already!" shouted Todd as he glared up at Beast, "kill me and prove yourself nothing more than a monster! A monster that should be nothing more than a pet for Gideon!"

Beast then raised his claws for the killing blow, but hesitated as he realized what he was doing.

"No," said Beast as he lowered his claws and blacked away from Todd, "I'm not like that anymore. I'm not the selfish, ungrateful, irresponsible beast I was before I met Belle. I'm not a cold-blooded killer, so I will allow you to live."

"And that makes you a loser!" snapped Todd as he pulled a poisoned knife out of a hidden pocket, "screw Gideon! You're gonna die now!" he threw the knife at Beast.

But Bella ran in front of Beast and caught the knife with one hand, the poison blade having no effect on her indestructible vampire skin.

"Playing with knives will only end in tears," said Bella as she crushed the knife into a small metal ball.

"Don't take any more chances with this creep!" said Jacob, "finish him off now!"

"You want me finished!" said Todd, "okay, I'll finish it," he smiled viciously, "and I'll finish you all as well!" his whole body began pulsing with evil white light."

"What's he doing?" Sora asked.

"I don't know," said Riku, "but he's really putting out a lot of seriously bad vibes."

"Really terrible vibes!" said Kairi, "like he's gonna blast us all with one massive psychic attack."

"It's a suicide attack!" shouted Lyra as she clutched the Alethiometer, "He's building up his psychic energy so high that he's going to explode and destroy us all!"

"Can we stop it!" Tess asked.

At that Todd laughed viciously, "You can't stop it! I've set my powers to overload! Sure, I'll die as well, but Gideon can bring me back again and again, where as you jerks will be dead for good!"

"What do we do!" shouted Belle.

"I'll transmute a shield around him!" said Aiden as he aimed his Keyblade at Todd and shot a bolt of Alchemic energy at the vile vegan. But the runaway psychic energy pulsing from Todd negated the transmutation.

"Jerk!" snapped Bella, "I'll throw you over the horizon!" She started towards Todd, but the massive, out of control psychic aura emitted by Todd prevented Bella from getting close to him.

"We're running out of options!" said Riku, "and time!"

Just then Sidney called over Riku's phone, "What's going down there! I'm reading a massive amount of psychic energy building up to critical mass!"

"We've got a vegan about to blow himself up!" said Riku into his cell phone.

Sora then had an idea. He grabbed Riku's phone, "Sidney, can you beam Todd into space?"

"So he'll blow up without hurting anyone," said Kairi, "that'll defiantly work!"

"I don't know if I can do that," said Sidney, "the psychic energy is so massive, I'm trying to lock into him, but the transporter just can't get a stable signal. I'm doing my best, but it's not good enough."

"Keep trying!" said Kairi, "it's our only chance!"

"Hand on," said Sidney, "recalculating…"

"We don't have that long!" said Aiden, "this guy is going to explode any second!"

"See you all in hell, losers!" shouted Todd as he laughed with dark glee.

"Transporter lock confirmed!" shouted Sidney, "Energizing!"

Two seconds later Todd vanished as he was teleported into the emptiness of space above the world. Shortly after that there was a near blinding flash as Todd Ingram, third of The League of Evil Exes, self destructed.

The shockwave of psychic energy shot out through space, hitting _The Intrepid Heart_ and the world below. Our heroes were all knocked down and didn't get up again for a minute or so until the shockwave passed.

"Everyone alright?" Sora asked as our heroes and allies picked themselves up.

"I think we're all in one piece," said Kairi.

"Nothing broken," said Aiden, "even my pride is intact."

"Same with all of us," said Jacob, while Bella, the wolves, Lyra and Pan, Donald, Goofy, Tess, Beast and Belle, nodded in agreement.

Just then a large amount of Munny, totaling 13,750, rained down onto our heroes.

"And that's all that's left of Todd," said Jacob as Sora and the others gathered up the Munny.

"You'd think that jerk would we worth more," said Aiden.

Sidney then called on Riku's phone, "I'm a bit shook up, but only minimal damage inflicted to the ship."

"Then we won," said a grinning Sora as he, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess deactivated their armor.

"But it's still not over," said Tess, "there's still that Keyhole."

"Go ahead and knock down the wall," said Beast in a reluctant but conceding tone, "the castle has been damaged so much, what's one more wall?"

"Okay," said Tess, "be right back," she ran back inside the castle.

"I think we're almost done here," said Riku.

"Almost," said Kairi. She then looked at Bella, "you're more than welcome to come with us. We will get you back to your daughter."

"Of course I'm going with you," said Bella, "like I'm gonna just sit around and do nothing while my daughter goes around the worlds, getting into all kinds of trouble."

There was then the sound of a loud Click, and a minute later Tess ran out, "I sealed the Keyhole!"

"That should pretty much keep The Heartless off your backs," said Sora to Beast and Belle, "so, anything else we can do while we're still here?"

"We're fine," growled Beast, "now please leave my home before you break anything else?"

"I'm afraid I have to agree with my husband," said Belle, "seriously, we're fine."

"Okay," said Sora. He and the others then said their goodbyes to Belle and Beast, then beamed up to _The Intrepid Heart_.

"So this is your ship?" Bella asked as they all left the transporter room and headed for the bridge.

"Yep," said Sora, "_The Intrepid Heart_, best ship in the realms."

"I wouldn't exactly call myself the best," said Sidney as she appeared in front of our heroes as they walked onto the bridge, "not the absolute best, but pretty much the best."

"Holy crow!" said Bella as she looked at Sidney, "this is like, I don't know, StarTrek or something."

"That's the general idea," said Sidney.

"Is everything alright with the ship, Sidney?" Kairi asked as our heroes took their stations, while Bella stood with Jacob to the side, "that Villain made a huge impact in space."

"I've been running dragonesses of all ship system and structural integrity," said Sidney, "everything checks out."

"Then let's pick out where to go next," said Aiden as he called up the holographic map of the realms.

"I think we need to check in with The King," said Sora, "I know he said that he was going to arrange a conference with Merlin and Yen Sid, but we should go there and look for the next gold key."

"That's a good idea," said Riku as he held up his key, while Kairi, Aiden, Tess and Lyra held up theirs.

"Then it's official," said Sora, "set course for Disney Castle!"

"Course laid in!" said Riku as he pressed the button, "here we go!" A few seconds later the engines powered up and The Intrepid Heart jumped into hyperspace.

"Oh!" said Riku, "we forgot to warn Bella!"

"Warn me about what?" Bella asked.

"About how going through hyperspace for the first time makes you sick," said Kairi, "it's unpleasantly like being drunk."

"What's so unpleasant about being drunk?" Bella asked, "oh, wait, I know that; Ask a glass of water."

"How'd you know that?" Aiden asked, "and why aren't you looking like you're about to throw up?"

"I read a lot," said Bella, "and if you have to ask the second question, then you really are dumb."

"Oh right," said Aiden, "you're dead, no gag reflex."

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"I hate to be the barer of bad news, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator, "but…"

"Let me guess," said Gideon in an annoyed tone, "Todd is dead, again."

"What is to be done, Mr. Graves?" The Negotiator asked, "if Maleficent learns of this…"

"She most likely already knows," said Gideon, "I'm more worried about conditioning Todd once he's been resurrected so he'll be more respectful. I tried to condition all of the Evil Exes when I resurrected them. It didn't work, but that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try."

"This is so, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator. Just then his PDA beeped with an incoming message, "we've located Roxie, she's on Agrabah."

"Get her on the line immediately!" said Gideon.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator, "but she's not answering her phone. All we know is that she is somewhere on Agrabah."

"Then send someone to fetch her," said Gideon, "I'm not going to lose control of the situation! The time of Lord Kira's return grows near! I will not be denied victory!"

* * *

><p><strong>…Somewhere in Time and Space…<strong>

"I think we've found their trail," said Hektor Nightfist, "Reddik and Ralek, they were defiantly on this world, but have moved on."

"How long ago were they here?" Pete asked.

"They departed less than two days ago," said Hektor, "if we hurry we can catch them." With that he summoned a Dark Corridor and ran through it.

"I really gotta get on a diet," said Pete as he lumbered after Hektor, "I can't keep 'dis up for much longer!" He ran into the Dark Corridor and it closed up after him.

**The end of Chapter 3.**

Next chapter, we switch back to Team Hayner as they explore Agrabah an delve deep into The Cave of Wonders. But what is the good thing that Alice saw in her vision? This and much more will be revealed soon. See you then!


	4. Ch4: Lost Treasure of Cave of Wonders

Last time found Team Sora arriving at Beast's Castle, which was under Heartless siege. Much to Sora's surprise, Beast had regained his monster form to help fight against the dark creatures. Also to the surprise of Sora and his friends, especially Jacob, Bella Cullen was there as well, hoping to find her daughter. After a brief and heated argument between Bella and Jacob, which Kairi settled, our heroes found their fifth gold key, then went in search of the Keyhole for the world.

Meanwhile, Gideon, who had planned to strip away Beast's humanity in order to make him Gideon's personal monster, dispatched the narcissistic psychic, Todd Ingram. The mad vegan nearly wiped the floor with our heroes and allies, but Bella came back from hunting and turned the tables on Todd. Sidney then saved everyone when Todd's psychic powers threatened to destroy the world, beaming the vile vegan into space before he exploded.

After sealing the Keyhole, Sora and the gang invited Bella to join them, promising to reunite her with Nessie and the rest of her family. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 4: The Lost Treasure of The Cave of Wonders**

Nessie yawned deeply as she walked into the galley of The Voyaging light, "boy," she said as she stretched, "I slept great."

"You certainly were out of it," said Olette, "after that spell you used in Wonderland, it really left you exhausted."

"But worth it," said Hayner, "that was awesome how you disrupted that corruption curse."

"You saved Wonderland," said Will, "and the story that goes with it, not to mention the minds and hearts of children across countless parallel worlds."

"So what you're saying is that I'm a hero," said Nessie.

"I guess so," said Will, "so, how do you feel?"

"Hungry," said Nessie, "and just a bit thirsty. I can wait to hunt until we get to the next world, so if you'll excuse me for a minute," she then ran around the galley that she was barely more than a blur to Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava could barely see. They watched as Nessie zoomed around the kitchen, briefly stopping at the fridge, stove and microwave. Within bare minutes she had prepared several large plates of eggs, bacon, toast, four large bowls of cut up fruit and a tall glass of orange juice.

"Hope that satisfies you," said Pence as he and the others realized that Nessie had prepared a breakfast big enough for everyone else on the ship.

"It should," said Nessie as she commenced to devour her breakfast.

"Looks like we're going to go shopping soon," said Olette, "at this rate, we'll be completely out of supplies."

"I'll be more than happy to pay for the market bills," said Nessie in between mouthfuls of eggs and toast, "after all the Heartless and Nobodies we've been killing, I've got plenty of Munny."

"We all do," said Hayner.

"Where's Alice and Jasper?" Pence asked.

"Enjoying their alone time," said Nessie, "they were separated for only a short time, but it was awful for them, so they deserve their togetherness."

"Well, I'm glad that they're back together," said Will, "and I'm also glad that the crew quarters are soundproof."

"Same with me," said Nessie, "I may be a heavy sleeper, of which I'm eternally grateful for considering how much my mama and daddy love each other." Her stomach growled loudly, "wait, why am I talking!" she then resumed shoveling her breakfast down.

"You could lose a hand in there," said Olette, "for real."

"Then don't try to touch my food wile I'm eating," said Nessie. It wasn't long before she was finished. She then quickly rinsed her dishes off in the sink and loaded them into the dishwasher, "okay, now I'm satisfied."

They all went to the bridge, where Vivi was piloting the ship into orbit around the next world.

"Is that Agrabah?" Pence asked as he, Hayner, Olette, Will, Kirjava and Nessie all looked at the view screen, which displayed a desert world with a large, elaborate palace.

"Do you know any other worlds in the realms with a climate like that?" Olette asked, "of course it's Agrabah."

"According to the sensor data," said Will, "there's barely any clouds at all, and it rarely rains, as well as high heat and low humidity; typical of a desert climate."

"So we'll bring lots of sun block for the day," said Hayner, "and warm clothes for the night. It does get cold in the desert after dark."

"This is not going to be fun," said a worried Nessie, "a desert world is not the best place for a vampire."

"But you're only half vampire," said Kirjava.

"I know that," said Nessie, "but my aunt and uncle are the genuine article."

"Does that mean they'll burst into flames when we step out into the sun?" a worried Pence asked.

"That's typical horror nonsense," said Jasper as he and Alice walked onto the bridge, "sensationalist fiction created out of barely remembered facts."

"I told you guys that sunlight doesn't burn vampires," said Nessie, "but it does react with our skin."

"We glow and sparkle," said a smiling Alice, "but anyone watching would know that we're not human, so we'll be dressing for the day."

Hayner and the others then noticed that Alice had in her arms two sets of desert robes, much in the Bedouin style, that would keep her skin and Jasper's from reacting with the sunlight.

"Add a pair of gloves each," said Jasper as he held up said gloves, "and we're good to go."

"Any idea where on this world that the next key is?" Pence asked.

"If I knew that," said Hayner, "we'd just beam down, grab it and beam out."

"What do you mean?" Olette asked.

"Let's just say that I want this whole mess with finding these keys to the talisman over with," said Hayner in a slightly annoyed tone, "the sooner we're done, the better."

"Oh come on," said Alice, "where's your sense of adventure?"

"Oh, he's just homesick," said Pence.

"That's not it," said Hayner. He sat down and sighed, "it's my mom's birthday, and with all the crazy stuff that's been happening, I forgot to get her a present."

"Oh, that's a good reason for feeling down," said Olette.

"I forgot to give my mum a present for her birthday once," said Will, "I felt really bad about it, but then, we were on the run from evil men who wanted to know what my dad was up to, and my mum wasn't really herself at the time."

"It's worse," said Hayner, "my mom, she's forty this year."

"So?" Nessie asked, "what's the big deal? My mom never made her birthday a big thin, and I don't make a big deal of it either."

"I always like to make it a big thing," said Alice, "any excuse for a party is a good reason for a party."

"You still don't get it," said Hayner in a serious tone, "my mom, she's forty. _Forty_!"

"So?" Nessie asked, "my father's over a hundred, and grandpa Carlisle is over 300."

"You have to understand, Nessie," said Jasper, "humans are mortal, and to them life is so precious that they feel the need to celebrate that life on a regular basis."

"And to have as much fun as they can," said Alice, "and give gifts, lots and lots of gifts."

"No, that's Christmas," said Nessie, "giving gifts." she looked at Hayner and the others, "I never liked getting toys, even when I was little. I'm perfectly happy with books, especially books I've never read before."

"If it'll make you feel better, Hayner," said Olette, "from what the computer says about Agrabah, there's a Marketplace that has a tone of shops. I'm sure you can find something for your mom, as well as a card that says you're sorry for being away on her birthday."

"I don't think they'll have an apology card for a disaster of this magnitude," said Hayner.

"You won't know if you don't try," said Pence.

"And if you can't find a good gift," said Will, "there's always plan G."

"Plan G?" Olette asked.

"Gift certificate," said Will.

"That might just work," said a now feeling much better Hayner, "there's a lot of shops back home on Twilight Town. A gift certificate could work, as a backup plan. But I do want to see what's there down on Agrabah."

"You might just be surprised," said an eagerly smiling Alice.

"Are you ever going to tell us about your premonition?" Jasper asked, "it's clearly something good, otherwise you'd have told us about it by now."

"What premonition?" Nessie asked.

"Your aunt had one while you were passed out," said Jasper.

"But she won't tell us what it is," said Kirjava.

"I don't want to spoil the surprise," said an eagerly grinning Alice. "Now, let's go down to that world and do some shopping."

"I think we should be in two groups," said Hayner as they headed for the transporter room, "one group to get the supplies we need and the other half to look for information on the next gold key."

"I'll be on the team looking for information," said Will, "I know how to go around without attracting attention, almost invisible like, and you can pick up a lot of information when those around you don't notice you."

"I might just go with you on that," said Hayner, "but at the same time we should keep our eyes out for something for my mom."

"I'll take care of the supply shopping," said Olette, "but I'll need someone to help me carry all our stuff back to the ship." She looked at Pence and Jasper, "thanks for volunteering, you two."

"I never volunteered for anything," said Pence.

"Neither did I," said Jasper.

"You might as well," said Alice, "what I saw in my vision, it's not going to happen for a while, so you might as well keep busy."

"Any chance you'll tell us anything else about what you saw?" Nessie asked as they got onto the transporter pad, while Alice and Jasper donned their desert robes and gloves.

"Nope," said Alice, "but I can assure you, it's going to make you happy as a clam."

"Coordinates set for the Marketplace," said Vivi as he stood at the transporter control consol.

"We're ready," said Hayner, "beam us down, Vivi."

"Energizing," said Vivi.

The next thing our heroes knew they were in a brightly lit street surrounded by stone buildings.

"Wow," said Pence as he shielded his eyes from the intense sunlight "I should have brought sunglasses."

"A few hours of this light," said Will as he shielded his eyes, while Kirjava was squinting so much she could barely see anything, "and we won't even need glasses."

"Yeah, 'cause we'll be blind," said Hayner.

"Oh come on," said Nessie, "it's not that bright out."

"Easy for you to say," said Olette as she also shielded her eyes from the intense sunlight, "you can handle it."

"There should be someplace that has sunglasses here," said Jasper.

"We're about to run into one," said Alice.

Just then a Moogle walked around the corner, "Greetings, travelers, kupo! What can I do for you?"

"Do you have any sunglasses?" Pence asked.

"If you've got the Munny," said the Moogle, "I've got the merchandise, kupo!" He then displayed several pairs of sunglasses from which Hayner, Pence, Olette and Will picked some out, while Will found a small pair for Kirjava.

"I just hope you don't try to cheat us," said Will as he and the others put their sunglasses on, "I've seen plenty of merchants who overprice their wares."

"What? I'd never try to cheat a customer," said the Moogle, "a cheated customer is a lost customer, kupo! I always try to keep my prices fair, unlike some of the other merchants on this world."

"Really?" Olette asked, "then I believe we have a lot of business to discuss," she looked at Nessie, Will, Kirjava, Hayner and Alice, "you guys go look for that gold key, we'll be fine right here."

"Lucky us," muttered Pence, while Jasper crossed his arms in annoyance.

"We'll call if we find anything," said Hayner as he held up his cell phone.

"Right," said Olette as she held up her phone.

"I don't need to see the future to know that you and Olette like each other," said Alice to Hayner as their group headed down the street.

"What do you mean?" Hayner asked, "I…"

"Oh don't deny it," said Nessie, "I've seen how the two of you look eat each other."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Hayner.

"You know," said Kirjava, "how one of you look at Olette when she's not looking at you, then she looks at you when you're not looking at her."

"So I look at Olette as she looks at me," said Hayner, "what does that have to do with anything?"

"You're serious," said Kirjava in a disbelieving manner.

"He is," said Nessie, "there are ways of telling when someone is lying, and from what I'm seeing, Hayner is telling the truth."

"You really don't know that much about girls, do you," said Alice to Hayner.

"I know what girls are!" said Hayner, "I just don't feel that way about Olette. She's my friend, my very good friend, that's all."

"I know what you're getting at," said Will, "but the ladies here, I think they have other ideas."

Hayner then realized that Nessie, Alice and Kirjava were looking at him in a conspiring manner, as if the three of them were plotting to get him and Olette together.

"Uh…" said a very uncomfortable Hayner, "so, when is this really great thing supposed to happen, Alice?"

"Not much longer," said Alice, "but first we hve to meet two of the local people."

"Who's that supposed to be?" Will asked.

"Those two over there," said Alice as she pointed to a man and a woman who were talking across the street. He had short black hair and wore a purple open vest, white pants with a wide red belt and a red fez on his head. She was exceptionally pretty with long black hair tied in a pony tail and wore a blue top and pants combo.

"That's Aladdin and Jasmine," said Alice.

"Well let's go talk to them," said Hayner.

"We will," said Alice, "just as soon as The Heartless show up."

Two seconds later a large number of Bandits and Fat Bandits appeared in the area.

"Can't we ever get a break! Hayner asked as he, Nessie and Will drew their weapons and dueled with the sword-wielding Bandits, while dodging the flame attacks of the Fat Bandits, all the while Alice was zooming through the area, ripping Heartless apart with her bare hands.

Nessie then saw that several Bandits and Fat Bandits had closed in on Aladdin and Jasmine. He had a large scimitar out and was holding off the Bandits, shielding her from the dark creatures.

"We've got to help them!" shouted Nessie as she stabbed a Bandit, then got behind a Fat Bandit and destroyed it.

"We're a little busy over here!" said Hayner.

"I'm not," said Alice as she tore a Fat Bandit to pieces. She then blinked in surprise, "oh wait, no I'm not!"

Just then a very large demon that was a humanoid made of sand and ten feet tall, appeared and attacked Alice. The sand demon reached down to grab her but Alice ran to the side. The demon then tried to grab her again, moving a lot faster than something that big should have been able to do. This time Alice barely managed to avoid getting crushed.

"Was this in your vision?" Hayner asked.

"My visions change all the time!" said Alice, "it all depends on what decisions are made!"

"I wish we could decide weather or not The Heartless would leave us alone!" said Will.

"Same with us!" shouted Aladdin as he fended off more Bandits, keeping them away from Jasmine.

"Need any help?" Will asked as he dueled and destroyed a pair of Bandits, then dodged a flamethrower attack from a Fat Bandit.

"Oh," said Aladdin, "all we can get!"

"I thought the Heartless wasn't a problem any more!" shouted Jasmine, "not since Sora was last here."

"You know Sora?" Hayner asked.

"We're friends," said Aladdin, "wish he was here now," he then stabbed a Bandit, then pulled Jasmine out of the way of a fireball a Fat Bandit spat at them.

"I wish Sora was here to," said Nessie as she destroyed a bunch of Neo Shadows that had just arrived.

Just then Pence, Olette and Jasper ran into the area and began their share of Heartless fighting, with Jasper soon rushing to help Alice. Jasper jumped up and kicked the sand demon in the head, knocking about a third of its mass from the body.

But the demon pulled itself together, drawing the knocked sand back into its body, as well as drawing in more sand and dust from the streets and buildings, making it a little bigger. The demon then lashed out at Jasper and Alice with tentacles made out of sand.

"Any ideas?" Pence asked as he blocked one of the sand tentacles, then had to fend off several Bandits.

"I've got plenty," said Hayner, "but none of them are any good."

"Makes you wonder where Gideon finds his employees," said Jasper as he and Alice dodged the tentacles. He then ran behind the demon and kicked out one of its legs, while Alice punched out the head of the sand demon.

But then the demon re-gathered its loss mass and added more, making itself significantly larger.

"Okay, this is serious now," said Pence as he deflected a Flamethrower attack, then got behind a Fat Bandit and bashed it in the back, destroying it.

"This definitely counts for a magical emergency!" said Aladdin, "Genie!"

Just then a large blue genie popped into the air above the battle, "Hey, Al, buddy!" shouted Genie, "need a hand? Or two or three? Or more?" about a hundred hands appeared all over genie's body.

"What we need is a way to get rid of that thing!" shouted Jasmine as she pointed at the sand demon.

Genie then realized that the sand demon was there, "oh, that's a tough nut to crack, and I can tell that from right here. Hmm, how to do this…" he floated in the air in a thoughtful manner, "oh! I got it!" he then turned himself into a giant dust buster and started sucking up all the sand and dust that composed the body of the demon.

Within seconds all of the sand demon was gone, contained inside Genie, "boy," he sighed as the vacuum turned off, "am I full."

Just then Nessie saw a very small humanoid demon, barely three inches tall, trying to scurry away, "that's the real demon!" she shouted, "the sand was just a covering!"

"Get it before it brings in more sand!" shouted Aladdin.

"I got it!" shouted Olette as she blasted the demon with a Thunder spell, but the creature dodged the bolts of lightning.

Pence then threw his hand shields at the demon, but it dodged them. It then tried to make a run for it to the next area, but Jasper got to it first and squashed it.

"Disgusting," said Jasper as he wiped the demon goop off of his boot.

The destruction of the demon seemed to end the battle, for no fresh Heartless were arriving.

"Well, that was…different," said Olette.

"I got two questions," said Pence, "one; are there any more of those demons around? And two;" he looked up at Genie, who had resumed his normal semi-ethereal shape, "what's with the big blue guy?"

"Allow me to introduce myself to the new crowd," said Genie. He then teleported behind Pence with a puff of bright smoke, "I happen to the wielder of phenomenal cosmic powers! Well, semi-phenomenal, nearly cosmic powers actually."

"He happens to be my best friend," said Aladdin.

"Genie, formerly of the lamp," said the big blue spirit as he eagerly shook hands with Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will, Nessie, Alice and Jasper.

"That's great," said Hayner. He then looked at Aladdin and Jasmine, "so, you said you know Sora?"

"Do I know Sora!" said Genie as he popped in front of Hayner, "we've had some wild times, me and Sora. We've fought many a battle and slain many a Heartless!"

"Have you seen Sora?" Aladdin asked.

"We're meeting up with him later," said Nessie, "but to go off target for a second, have you seen anything like this on this world?" she held up her gold key, while Olette, Pence and Will held up theirs.

"I don't know," said Aladdin as he looked at the gold keys, "why do you want to know?"

"They unlock a really powerful magic item," said Pence.

"One that'll hopefully save the realms from the darkness," said Will, "hopefully once and for all."

"Then there won't be any more Heartless at all?" Jasmine asked, "that'd be almost too much to ask for."

"We're not really sure how it'll work," said Hayner, "but this talisman is going to take care of the demon problem, and hopefully Maleficent as well."

"Now that would be too much to ask for," said Genie, "even for me, and I used to grant wishes before I was finally set free."

"You were a prisoner?" Nessie asked.

"Story of a genie's life," said Genie, "phenomenal cosmic power, itty bitty living space. Did you know I spent ten thousand years trapped in a lamp?"

"I didn't know that," said Nessie in a stunned tone, "wow, ten thousand years in a confined space. I'm half immortal myself and I can barely imagine what I'm going to do in the next 150 years, let a lone thousand. Well, I know who I'm going to spend them with, but what I'll do with him, I don't know."

"Could we get back on topic," said Pence. He looked at Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie, "so, have any of you seen anything like our gold keys?"

"Oh, and have you seen anyone like my aunt and uncle here?" she indicated Alice and Jasper, "just so you know, we're all vegetarian vampires."

"That means we do not harm humans," said Jasper.

"They don't look like vampires to me," said Aladdin.

"Well," said Nessie, "I'm only half vampire. But again, I don't drink human blood, only animals."

"Speaking of animals," said Alice "there's two over there."

Hayner and the others saw a small monkey wearing a fez and vest matching Aladdin's, as well as a red parrot. The two of them were standing outside the doorway of a shop.

"Abu!" said Aladdin, "Iago! What are you doing?"

The monkey, Abu, scurried to Aladdin and jumped onto his shoulder, while the parrot, Iago, flapped his wings and hovered outside the shop doorway.

"I'll be with you in a second," said Iago, "I just need to convince this guy that the coast is clear."

"That parrot is talking," said a slightly shocked Pence.

"After all we've been through recently," said Olette, "a talking animal should be shocking," she looked at Kirjava, "no offense."

"None taken," said Kirjava. She then looked up at Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie, "before you ask, I'm Will's daemon, or soul if you would, so don't touch me."

"Like I'd want to touch you, toots," said Iago.

At that Kirjava looked like she wanted to claw Iago's eyes out, "Don't call me toots!"

"Whatever," said Iago. He then knocked his beak on the door, "I'm telling you, those things are gone."

Just then The Peddler, stuck his head out of the doorway, "are you sure that those horrible creatures are gone?"

"Hey, would I like to you?" Iago asked.

"Constantly," said The Peddler, "but that's beside the point. I want to hear from Princess Jasmine that it's safe."

Iago then looked at Aladdin and Jasmine, "tell him it's safe already! Believe me, this is important."

"Is this another one of your get rich quick schemes, Iago?" Aladdin asked, "none of those end up well."

"This is the real deal, lover boy," said Iago, "this is as real as it's going to get. Hey would I lie to you and the princess?"

"Constantly," said Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie.

"Well this time I'm serious," said Iago, "believe me, this is gonna make us all so rich…"

"Money isn't everything, Iago," said Jasmine, "it can't buy real happiness."

"I had to learn that being rich and powerful isn't all that it's cracked up to be the hard way," said Aladdin to Hayner and the others.

But then Jasmine sighed in an annoyed manner, "but, we might as well humor you, so we can know what you're doing so we can rescue you when things take a turn for the worse." She looked at the Peddler, "it's alright, there aren't any Heartless around."

"Just vegetarian vampires," said Alice as she smiled eagerly.

At that the Peddler timidly walked out of his shop and up to Aladdin and Jasmine, with Iago flapping his wings above him.

"Now tell them what you just told me," said Igao.

"But I told you that the story is just that," said the Peddler, "a story that's been passed through so many people that by now none of it is truth."

"But it got started somewhere," said Iago, "and that guy was telling the truth. So what if a few facts got muddled along the way; the treasure is still there."

"I knew this was a get rich quick scheme," said Jasmine.

"You sound like he can't be trusted," said Olette to Aladdin and Jasmine.

"He has that effect on people," said Aladdin.

"Just hear me out," said Iago, "humor me, for all the times I actually did good, okay."

"Well," said Aladdin, "we do owe you for a few times."

"Alright, we'll listen," said Jasmine in a reluctant tone.

"You won't regret it," said a eagerly grinning Iago. He looked at the Peddler, "now tell them what you told me."

"Very well," sighed the Peddler, "but don't come back to me when it turns out to be a wild camel chase. The other day I heard from my brother, who heard from his girlfriend, who heard from her uncle, who heard form his cousin, who heard from his accountant, who heard from his mother, who heard from her hairdresser, who heard from her baker, who heard from his best friend, that there's far more to The Cave of Wonders than anyone has seen."

"That's sounds real enough to me," said Aladdin, "when Sora and I went in there, we both felt that there was more to the place."

"Well, good sir," said the peddler, "the best friend of the baker of the hairdresser, who's mother told the accountant, who told his cousin, who told his niece, who told her boyfriend, my brother, said that deep in The Cave of Wonders is a hidden passageway that leads to a room filled with far more treasure than what you saw on your exploits, good sir."

"You see?" Iago asked eagerly as he flew circles around Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie, "there's tones more treasure in The Cave of Wonders, and it's all ours!"

"Aren't you forgetting something, my fine feathered friend?" Genie asked.

"The Guardian of The Cave of Wonders," said Aladdin, "he doesn't like thieves. We can't touch any of the treasure in there."

"But it's in a hidden passage," Iago insisted, "the Cave Guardian might not know about it. We can just walk in, find the hidden treasure and walk out with it. The Cave Guardian will never know."

"This still sounds like a scam to me," said Jasmine.

"Just how dangerous is this Cave of Wonders?" Will asked.

"I'm curious as to that myself," said Jasper.

"Every time Sora and I went in," said Aladdin, "we nearly got buried alive trying to get out. That place has a lot of booby traps, and it's also packed with Heartless."

"But it's also where The Keyhole is," said Jasmine, "and why Jafar was so anxious on getting back in. Who knows what else is in there?"

"Well, I guess it would be alright if we tried to make a fuller map of the place," said Aladdin, "but still, this sounds way too dangerous."

"Wait a second!" said Will, "of course! that's it!"

"What's it?" Aladdin asked.

"Where's the best place to hide treasure?" Will asked.

"You burry it somewhere," said Pence, "and have it guarded by all sorts of monsters and death traps."

"Besides that," said Will, "I mean if you want to hide one specific piece of treasure in the one place it would go unnoticed."

"You hide it among other treasure!" said Nessie eagerly, "if someone were to find the key among the other treasure in The Cave of Wonders, then they'll just think it's just a gold key, nothing really special about it."

"And it really helps since nobody can steal from The Cave of Wonders," said Aladdin, "that's brilliant!"

"This is assuming that the key is in The Cave of Wonders," said Jasper.

"It's the best lead we have," said Hayner, "we have to get all the keys."

"Well," said Aladdin, "if you guys want to go to The Cave of Wonders, you're going to need someone who's been there."

"And you're the guy," said Pence, "alright, let's go."

"Hang on a second!" said Genie, "if you're going across the desert to The Cave of Wonders, you're gonna need a lift!" he then shouted to the air, "Yo! Rug-man!"

Two seconds later an elaborately woven flying carpet arrived in the area.

"A magic carpet," said Alice, "this I did not see."

"Are we anywhere near what you saw in your vision?" Pence asked.

"We're getting there," said Alice, "the next part involves us in this Cave of Wonders."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nessie asked, "let's go!"

"Uh, Nessie," said Will, "there's one thing holding us back."

"We don't know where it is," said Pence.

"Uh, hello?" Genie asked, "big blue wish granter here! I've been there!"

"We can show the way," said Aladdin, "but, Genie, I think we're going to need another magic carpet."

"This one is a little small for all of us," said Olette. At that Carpet stood on one end and mimed being annoyed at Olette.

"He's rather sensitive," said Jasmine, "but Aladdin's right; Carpet isn't big enough for all of us."

"That's right," said Aladdin. He then looked at Jasmine in a surprised tone, "wait, what do you mean 'all of us?' you're not going."

"Of course I am," said Jasmine, "there's no way I'm staying here with all these Heartless running around while you go off looking for a treasure that may not exist."

"Before we go any further," said Nessie, "I just want to point out that I don't mind walking."

"Neither do I," said Jasper, while Alice nodded in agreement, "in fact, we could probably run faster to this Cave of Wonders faster than you can fly there."

"Just point us in the right direction," said Alice.

"Just straight across the desert," said Genie as he pointed out to the desolate waste outside the city, "you can't miss it."

"I am going with you," said Jasmine, "and there's nothing you can do to change my mind."

Before Aladdin could argue, Alice tense as she had a sudden vision. She then looked up and saw someone wearing a black cloak with the hood up standing on the rooftop of a nearby building, something that was about to throw several shuriken at Aladdin and Jasmine.

"Look out!" shouted Alice as the stranger threw the shuriken. Aladdin barely pulled Jasmine away to avoid two shuriken.

Nessie then ran in front of Aladdin and Jasmine as the cloaked stranger threw more shuriken, throwing them so fast that the movements were little more than a blur. The young half vampire also moved so fast she was barely a blur, catching all of the deadly blades.

The cloaked stranger stood up. Nessie could make out the eyes of the stranger, eyes that glared down at her with unadulterated hate. Nessie glared back at the stranger with righteous fury.

The stranger then vanished in a puff of black smoke.

"What was that all about?" Pence asked.

"Apparently someone out there doesn't like these two," said Nessie as she looked at Aladdin and Jasmine.

"This reeks of Gideon's work," said Jasper, "and I don't mean that in the figurative manner. That assassin's scent was very familiar to me."

"Definitely someone in Gideon's inner circle," said Alice, "but whoever it was masked their scent enough that I don't recognize it."

"Me neither," said Nessie, "but whoever this person is, he or she is dangerous, dangerous enough to take precaution," she looked at Aladdin and Jasmine, "Jasmine's safer with us than she would be staying behind."

"That's reason enough for me," said Jasmine. She looked at Aladdin, "I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."

"Alright!" said Genie, "we're all off for an adventure together!"

"There's still the matter of how we're all getting to The Cave of Wonders," said Olette.

"I said that I could walk," said Nessie.

"Why walk when you can fly in style," said Genie. With a snap of his fingers (insert finger snapping sound) he sent a bolt of magic at Capet, which increased his size so that everyone could sit on him comfortably.

"Now that's impressive," said Hayner.

"And comfortable," said Pence as he climbed onto and sat on Carpet.

"Everyone going to The Cave of Wonders should begin boarding at once," said Genie.

One by one our heroes and allies, including Iago, got on Carpet, "Next stop, The Cave of Wonders!" said Genie. Carpet rose into the air and flew out into the deep desert.

But while they were flying, Nessie, Hayner and the others were being watched by the cloaked stranger from atop the city walls; the stranger glaring at them with unbridled loathing.

A short flight later found Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will, Kirjava, Nessie, Alice, Jasper, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie and Carpet had arrived at the Entrance to The Cave of Wonders.

"It sure get's dark quickly around here," said Pence as he looked up at the sudden night sky.

"I know," said Aladdin, "it's kinda weird."

"What is that thing!" Pence asked as he pointed to the giant lion's head that rose out of the sand at the far end of the area.

"That's the way in," said Aladdin.

"Is that sand thing alive?" Olette asked.

"Oh he's alive alright," said Genie, "and bad tempered."

"That's the Cave Guardian," said Aladdin, "and he's going to want to know why we're here, so just tell the truth when he asks."

"This should be freaking me out," said Hayner, "but I'm not really that surprised."

"We are so desensitized," said Pence.

They cautiously walked up to the giant lion's head made of sand. It opened it's glowing eyes and looked down, "Who dares to disturb my slumber?" it asked in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Uh…what do we say?" Pence whispered to Hayner.

"We tell him the truth," said Nessie. She then stepped forward of the group, "we are travelers seeking that which is needed to defeat the darkness!"

"We seek a gold key," said Will, "one that is part of a set that will unseal an item of great power."

The Cave Guardian looked down at Will and Nessie, "and what will you do with this item of great power?"

"We'll use it to destroy a great evil," said Will, "one that seeks to cover all of creation in darkness; nothing more, nothing less."

"Then proceed," said the Cave Guardian, "but know this; you may only retrieve that which you seek, and only that which you seek. Touch anything else, and none of you will ever see the light of day again!" He then opened his mouth, revealing a long set of stairs.

"He's serious," said Aladdin, "we can't touch anything else but that gold key that supposed to be in there," he looked at Abu, "and that means no getting any treasure for ourselves." Abu mimed a pleading gesture, but Aladdin was resolute, "no, Abu, we can't risk it, not with Jasmine here."

"And that means you have to be doubly careful," said Jasmine to Iago, "so don't even think about grabbing any treasure."

"Oh come on," whined Iago, "why would you ever think that I would risk everyone's necks over some lousy treasure?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Aladdin asked in turn.

"Let's just go in there," said Hayner, "the sooner we get that key, the sooner we can leave."

"And not be tempted by treasure," said Jasper, "there's a lot of it down there, I can smell it."

"Same here," said Nessie, "gold maybe shiny, but I'm not that fond of the smell."

"You can smell gold?" Aladdin asked as they all headed down the stairs.

"And silver," said Alice, "and all the precious metals and gems. Like Nessie said, the colors may be attractive, but we can do without the scent."

"Not exactly the most pleasant of scents, gold," said Jasper.

"But you have one of the gold keys that we need," said Pence to Nessie, "if gold smells bad to you, why are you have the key on you?"

"Because this piece of gold," said Nessie as she held up her gold key, "doesn't smell like ordinary gold. It's like…," she sniffed the key, "like…I honestly don't know what this is."

Alice and Jasper sniffed Nessie's key, "It's definitely unique," said Jasper.

"I don't think there's anything like this on our world," said Alice, "and we've been pretty much everywhere on our world."

"You'll have to tell us about it sometime," said Will.

* * *

><p>"How many steps are there to this thing?" Hayner asked after walking down the stairs for another five minutes.<p>

"We should be almost there," said Aladdin, "and be ready for anything. The first time I went down here was to get Genie's lamp; the second time was to rescue Jasmine, the third time was to borrow a treasure from the Cave Guardian. Each time things were different."

"Like the layout of the cave changes?" Will asked.

"I thought you knew what you were doing when you went down here!" said Pence.

"Well," Aladdin said in a mildly sheepish tone, "things weren't always certain."

"Let's just focus in finding that key and getting out of here," said Nessie, "and now that I think of it," she sniffed her key, "I have an idea on finding it." She looked at Olette, Pence and Will, "I need to sniff your keys."

"I think I know where you're going," said Will as he took out his key and Nessie sampled its scent.

"What is this supposed to accomplish?" Pence asked as she and Olette took out their keys, which Nessie sniffed.

"These keys smell differently than regular gold," said Nessie, "and I had the idea that each key smelled a little different from each other; similar but different at the same time. Now that I've smelled the keys we have, I can sniff out the next key, assuming it is here," she sniffed the air, "I'm not picking up anything, but that doesn't mean it's not here outright."

"Then there's only one thing we can do," said Hayner as they reached the bottom of the stairs, "keep going forward."

They found themselves in a large chamber that was the size of a football field. The walls had carvings in the form of a large grid of squares each 15 ft, while the floor had smaller squares carved into it, each square about 3ft long.

"This definitely wasn't here last time," said Aladdin.

"What is this supposed to be?" Pence asked.

"Normally this would be where we get attacked by Heartless," said Olette.

"I don't see any Heartless," said Hayner.

"And I don't sense any either," said Nessie.

"It's just us in here," said Jasper.

"But what is this?" Kirjava asked.

"I don't know," said Aladdin, "but there's the door," he pointed to across the room to a large door in the far wall.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Pence asked, "let's go!" He took a step onto the grid-like floor.

Just then Alice tensed from a sudden vision, "wait! Don't!"

But Pence took one step too many and his foot brooked through the floor. He nearly fell through the floor, but Nessie and Hayner caught him.

"What the heck just happened?" Pence exclaimed as Nessie and Hayner pulled him up and back onto the edge of the grid where everyone else was.

"I think this room is one big booby trap," said Olette.

"Is it that obvious?" Pence asked in an exasperated tone.

"So there's tiles that we can break through if we step on them," said Nessie, "so we have to be careful about where we step, I so got this."

"What are you going to do?" Hayner asked.

"I can tell the difference between the tiles that are thin enough to break through and the safe ones," said Nessie. She bent down and touched one of the times, "safe," she touched the one in front of it, "safe," she stepped on the first tile and toughed another one, "trap…"

She then touched the tiles around the trap and found one that was safe, "follow my lead and step only where I step," she slowly walked forward onto the tiled floor. After she went forward a few yards Hayner and the others followed.

But then when Nessie was about a third of the way across she stepped on one of the safe tiles and it depressed into the floor by an inch, "oh crap!" she shouted as she jumped back to the previous safe tile, just in time to avoid a dozen poison-tipped darts that few out of one of the wall tiles.

"What the hell!" snapped Hayner, "I thought you could feel out the traps!"

"I did!" snapped Nessie, "that tile wasn't rigged to break!"

"I was about to warn you," said Alice, "there's more than one kind of trap here."

"What are we supposed to do now?" Pence asked, "we can't go forward if we can't avoid the traps, and I'm not sure I remember the way back."

"We can still do this," said Nessie, "but I'm going to need Aunt Alice to help me on this."

"I'll see any traps coming," said Alice as she cautiously walked across the tiles to where Nessie was.

"Be careful," said Jasper, "there's more to this place than just mechanically rigged traps."

"I've had that feeling for a while myself," said Nessie, "but thanks for the warning.

Cautiously, Nessie and Alice lead the rest of the croup across the room, with Alice redirecting them as she foresaw a different trap as they approached it.

"That one releases boulders," said Alice, "and that one is a trap door leading to a vat of acid, and that one leads to punji sticks, and that one leads to a vat full of scorpions and snakes. And that one is full of spiders and snakes, and that one has snakes, spiders and scorpions."

"Whoever designed these traps has a real sick imagination," said Will.

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Olette.

But eventually they all made it across the floor without getting killed and were prepared to go through the next door, "well," said Nessie, "that was exciting."

"I can think of other things to call that," said Pence, "one of them nice."

"Can you smell the key yet?" Kirjava asked.

"Not yet," said Nessie as she sniffed the air, "but I am smelling a lot of regular gold and other kinds of treasure. We're not far from the treasure room."

"Be careful," said Aladdin as they went through the door and entered the next area, a dimly lit corridor, or so it seemed, "we could be attacked by Heartless any time now."

"That is bugging me a bit," said Nessie, "why haven't we seen any Heartless since that one big attack in the city?"

"I've got a bad feeling that the baddies are messing with us," said Hayner, "that they're going to wait until we least expect it, then they'll get us."

"Well let's just hope that we're close to finding that key," said Pence.

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you," Alice warned him.

"Why?" Pence asked.

Just then the are was lit brightly by torches that burst into flame along the distant walls of the room, revealing a single crooked path of platforms that were separated by random widths over a bottomless pit. The gaps between the platforms were filled by all sorts of lethal objects on pendulums; spinning blades, spiked weights and simply large bludgeons.

"Well," said Olette, "this is…"

"Not my idea of fun," said Will.

"This has to be the same length as the last room," said Pence, "and…yes! There's some kind of switch at the other end, near the door."

"I'll bet that switch turns off the blades and stuff," said Hayner, "but how are we going to get across?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Nessie asked as she stretched, as if preparing for a grueling task, "I'm gonna run across this and get to the other side."

"No you're not!" Alice insisted.

"Why not?" Nessie asked, "I'm perfectly capable of dodging those blades, spikes and weights, unless…"

"Unless you make a mistake and fall," said Alice, "yes, I saw what happens, believe me it's not pretty."

"But you can get across without getting hurt," said Nessie, "or worse."

"Exactly," said Alice, "in fact," she looked at the far end of the room towards the switch that would deactivate the death machines, "I'm going to do it right now!" she ran across the crooked patch, stepping to the side to avoid one swinging blade after another, dodging the spikes and weights and easily leaping across the gaps in the platforms.

Within seconds she was on the other side of the room and had pressed the switch. The pendulums retracted into the ceiling and additional platforms rose out of the bottomless pit. "It's safe now!" said Alice.

"Are you sure?" Pence asked as he looked down into the bottomless pit, "'cause this would seem like the perfect opportunity for a surprise trap."

"I don't think so," said Alice, "just walk over, I'll warn you of any danger."

"You're awesome, Aunt Alice!" said Nessie as she leisurely walked across the path to the other side, followed by Jasper, Hayner and everyone else.

"That was way too easy," said Aladdin, "it's like whoever made that trap wasn't even trying."

"I don't think so," said Jasper, "these traps were most likely meant as a deterrent against humans."

"They weren't expecting vampires," said Olette.

"Which means that the next room should also be a breeze," said Hayner.

They all made it across the path and went into the next room. This are was a lot smaller, like a small movie theater. The door was clearly marked, but there was no switch to press.

Right in the middle of the room was a large table with eight stone items, each the size of a bowling ball, but had flat sides.

"They're dodecahedrons," said Jasper as he stepped closer to the table, "regular dodecahedrons to be exact; each face is a pentagon, and there are twelve faces all together."

"Eight, twelve-sided objects," said Will, "seems like a puzzle to me."

"It's looking like that to me too," said Nessie as she examined the door to the next area, "I can't find a way to open it," she tried forcing it open, but to no avail despite her vampire strength, "so if it's a puzzle, we'll have to solve it."

"But what is the object of the puzzle?" Olette asked.

Jasper then indicated a pentagon-shaped indentation in the middle of the table, "one of the dodecahedrons must fit in that. Not only that, the right face of the object, and the right position of the face, must be placed in the indentation. I'm sure that'll unlock the door."

"If my math is right," said Nessie, "eight objects, times twelve faces times five sides to each face…that's 480 possible combinations…it can't be that easy."

"I agree," said Will, "even a human could eventually figure the answer out."

"There's more to this," said Jasper as he looked down at the eight dodecahedrons. Cautiously, as if expecting a booby trap, or at least a warning from Alice, he picked one of the dodecahedrons up, but nothing happened.

"It seems harmless to me," said Jasper as he looked at all the faces and sides of the dodecahedron, "it hardly weighs a thing, only a few ounces." He then was about to place it in the indentation to experiment on which face and side was the right one.

"NO!" shouted Alice, stopping Jasper when he was less than an inch from placing the dodecahedron on the table.

"Now what?" Pence asked.

"The puzzle is the trap," said Alice, "the second you put the item back on the table, either in the dent or anywhere else on the table, it'll set off the trap."

"What kind of trap is it this time?" Hayner asked as he walked towards Jasper and Alice. But then he tripped over his shoe lace and collided with the table, his arm knocking one of the dodecahedrons off of the table.

"I got it," said Pence as he picked up the fallen dodecahedron and placed it back on the table.

"What did I just tell you!" snapped Alice.

"Well, why didn't you warn me not to walk over the table?" Hayner asked as he stood up.

"My power doesn't work on random accidents," said Alice, "great, now it's going to get warm in here."

Suddenly the walls began glowing red as they heated up.

"Okay," said a slight nervous and sweating Olette asked, "the walls are heading up. It's not the end of the world."

"It'll get worse if we don't solve the puzzel and get that door open," said Alice, "in a few seconds the walls are going to be on fire."

"And how long does it take to go through 480 different configurations without losing your place?" Will asked.

Just then the side walls ignited.

"Not quick enough!" said Jasper as he picked up more of the dodecahedrons and looked at them more closely.

"Better find the configurations soon," said Alice, "it's going to get a bit confining in here."

Just then the flaming walls began closing in, moving very slowly, like an inch every few seconds, but moving nonetheless.

"Okay, we're officially screwed!" said Pence.

"We're not dead yet!" said Jasper as he rapidly looked at the dodecahedrons one after the other, "I can do this!"

"Well whatever you're going to do," said Hayner as the walls began to move faster, much faster, "do it quick!"

"Wait!" said Nessie as she looked at the indentation in the middle of the table, "there's a slight defect in one of the sides of the configuration! No, it's a specific set of defects! Find the face that's not perfect and you've got it!"

"I have it!" said Jasper as he placed the right dodecahedron in the indentation. The flaming walls stopped and the fires were extinguished. Our heroes then realized that the walls had stopped with less than six feet to go before they were crushed.

The walls then retreated to their original position and the door to the next area opened.

"That was the worst," said a still frightened Olette, "for a second there I thought we were finished."

"Are you kidding?" Pence said, "I wasn't scared at all."

"Yeah right," said Nessie, "but we had nothing to worry about. Aunt Alice would have said something if we really were in trouble," she looked at Alice, "Right?"

"Of course," said Alice, "then again, it all depended on whether or not someone figured the configuration in time, which I for one am glad you did, Nessie."

"Can we just get this whole mess over with?" Hayner asked.

"I agree," said Will, "let's get this over with."

"Well we're almost at the end," said Jasper, "in a way, I can truly sense a huge amount of gold."

"And other forms of treasure," said Alice, "and we're right next to it."

They all went through the door and found themselves inside the Treasure Chamber. Pilled in heaps, some of them reaching almost to the ceiling, was gold, gold and more gold in coins, bars, ingots, various pieces ranging from spoons to plates, from statues to unidentifiable shapes like modern art.

There were other types of treasure; silver and platinum pieces, gems, jewelry in all shapes and sizes; all of it glinting brightly in the torchlight and all of it seemingly unprotected.

"The mother load!" shouted an overjoyed Iago as he giddily flew in circles above our heroes, "I'm rich! Rich! I'm wealthy! I'm financially independent!" He then dove headfirst for a pile of gold coins.

"NO!" shouted Alice, while Nessie caught Iago before he could touch the coins, "the Cave Guardian said not to touch anything but the key!"

"Do you have a death wish or something?" Nessie asked, "are you so greedy that you're willing to throw away for treasure?" she then saw a large stature of a monkey holding a huge ruby, "for…treasure…" a slightly glazed look came over her eyes, "for pretty…shiny…treasure," she dropped Iago, who landed on his tail feathers on the floor, "pretty-pretty shiny-shiny," she reached out for the monkey-holding-a-ruby stature.

"I don't think so," said Jasper as he gently but firmly grabbed Nessie's shoulder, "just keep your hands to yourself, little one, and your wits about yourself."

"What?" a confused Nessie asked. She blinked in surprise, "oh, I…I kinda lost it for a second there."

"Vampires can be easily distracted sometimes," said Alice to Hayner and the others.

"So we've been told," said Hayner, "So, Nessie, can you smell the key?"

Nessie sniffed the air of the treasure room, "just gold, gold and more gold," she sniffed again, "wait…I think…" she sniffed, "yes! I can smell the next key!" she then ran across the patch through the treasure room, with the others following her, all of them making sure that they never touched a single piece of the forbidden loot.

Nessie then came to a seemingly empty area of the room, with part of the wall exposed, "the scent leads here! I can feel a draft coming from the wall!"

"Looks like a solid wall to me," said Olette.

"I doubt it," said Jasper, while Nessie felt along the blank part of the wall.

A second later Nessie found and pressed a hidden switch in the wall and a secret door opened up, "we're almost there!" She ran into the now revealed passageway, with the others shortly behind her.

They caught up with her in another large room that had another table in the middle, and on the table was what appeared to be a large brainteaser. It was a huge set of twisting wires wrapped randomly around several standing poles, with the wires crisscrossing each other wildly with no clear start or end to the wirers. And right in the middle of this chaotic nest of wires was the gold key, with a wire runing through the loop.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," said an exasperated Olette, "another death trap?"

"This doesn't seem to be a death trap," said Jasper, "not on the surface at least."

"Well what is the point of the puzzle if it's not a death trap?" Will asked, "are we supposed to get the key out inside a time limit? Or are we supposed to solve the puzzle without breaking the wire?"

"It seems that way to me," said Nessie as she walked around the puzzle, "this is all one big wire with no visible ending anywhere; it's a loop, so the only way to get the key is to break the wire."

"It's got to be a trap," said Pence.

"The only way to win is to lose," said Will in a thoughtful manner as he walked around the table, "unless…"

"Unless what?" Hayner asked.

"Unless it's not really a trap," said Will, "but only the illusion of a trap to make us give up."

"That doesn't make sense," said Olette.

"But it kinda does," said Hayner, "we nearly got killed three times along the way here, then we were all tempted by the forbidden treasure. I think that the Cave Guardian set this all up to keep everyone away from the key. I think that anyone who's gotten this far would be so tired that the sight of another death trap would make them give up."

"That sounds crazy and stupid," said Pence.

"I don't think so," said Will, "I think that the key is there for the taking."

"And I think it's a death wish to just try and take it," said Olette.

"I'm willing to take that chance," said Hayner.

"Then by all means," said Jasper, "reach in and take the key."

"I'll do that," said Hayner. He then looked at the nest of wires, but didn't try to get the key.

"What are you waiting for?" Nessie asked.

"For Alice to shout out a warning," said Hayner.

"I can't see anything coming unless you actually decide to do it," said Alice.

"Okay," said Hayner hesitantly, "umm…"

"Well, go on," said Pence, "go and get us all killed."

"I'm nervous enough as it is!" said Hayner. He then took several deep breaths and reached into the nest of wires. But the second his fingers touched the wires, they vanished, leaving only the key hovering a few inches above the table. Without any further hesitation, Hayner grabbed the key and stepped back from the table. To everyone's relief, nothing happened.

"So it was an illusion," said a surprised Olette.

"And there isn't anything terrible coming at us," said Alice.

"Then we've done it," said Hayner as he pocketed the key, "we've got it."

"So now what?" Pence asked as they all exited the chamber and walked back to the main treasure room.

"I think we've got time before we need to head out for the next world," said Will.

"Great!" said Genie as he zoomed around our heroes, "I know this perfect curry restaurant that'll send your taste buds into a conga line!"

"Curry sounds great right about now," said a smiling Nessie, "I happen to really like curry."

"I don't actually need to eat," said Alice, "but right now, I could go for some."

"Same with me," said Jasper.

"But you don't eat," said Pence.

"I know," said Jasper, "but that doesn't mean we can't indulge ourselves every now and then."

"Exactly," said Alice as they walked through the piles of forbidden treasure towards the exit, "sure we can't digest food like humans, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the taste, and I also happen to like the taste of curry, so…"

But Alice didn't get to finish what she was saying, for a sudden vision caused her to pull Aladdin and Jasmine out of the way of a furry of black shuriken thrown at the two of them.

"Look!" shouted Will as he pointed to the top of one of the piles of gold, where the cloaked assassin stood with several more shuriken in hand.

"Guess who's back for round 2!" said Nessie as she glared up at the assassin, who glared back at her. The assassin then threw his shuriken at her, who easily dodged them.

But then the assassin threw another handful of shuriken at Pence, who instinctively rolled out of the way, only to land face down in a nearby pile of forbidden treasure.

"Oh no!" shouted Pence as he scrambled to get away from the gold, "I touched it! I touched the forbidden treasure!"

"That's it!" said Olette, "we're finished now!"

But nothing happened; no warning of certain doom from the cave guardian, no sudden earthquake or anything.

"I think the Cave Guardian will only kill us if we actually intend to take the treasure," said Nessie as she picked up a gold brick, "and that it's okay if we put it back," she then threw the brick at the assassin with enough force to shatter a cinderblock wall, "not necessarily in the same place, mind you."

The assassin dodged the brick and vanished in a large puff of black smoke, only to reappear atop another treasure pile to throw more shuriken at our heroes.

"Just how many of those blades does this guy have?" Hayner asked as he picked up a gold-plated shield and used it to block the shuriken.

"Too many if you ask me!" said Will as he blocked the shuriken with his sword.

The assassin then jumped down from the treasure pile and rushed at Aladdin and Jasmine, moving so fast he was little more than a black blur. Alice barely pulled the two out of the way in time.

"This person has abilities comparable with a vampire," said Jasper, "but he's no vampire!"

The assassin tried to attack Aladdin and Jasmine again and again, each time Alice barely saving them.

Then Jasper stepped in front of the path of the oncoming assassin and threw a hard punch at the assassins' torso, knocking him hard into a treasure pile.

The force of the punch knocked the cloak off of the assassin, revealing him to be a her; a girl in her early 20's with blond hair in two forward pigtails, with black marks under her eyes, wearing a gothic ninja outfit and a very irate expression on her face. Crossing one shoulder down her side was a metal sash that was in fact a long, flexable sword with razors on the edges.

"You stupid vampire!" snapped the girl as she clutched her chest where Jasper threw his punch, "you hit me in the boob!"

"My most sincere apologies, ma'am," said Jasper, "but I had to stop you from harassing my niece and her friends."

"Well you're still a jerk for hitting me where you did," said the irate blond assassin as she stood up.

"Wait a second," said Nessie as she looked at the blond girl, "I know you! You're Roxie Richter, fourth of the League of Evil Exes."

"Check out the brain on the half-breed," said the blond assassin, Roxie Richter, in a mocking manner, "how nice to see you again, you little reject freak."

At that Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava could hear Nessie grind her steel-like teethn in outrage.

"What's she talking about?" Aladdin asked.

"I mean that the mutant here," said Roxie as she pointed at Nessie, "was targeted by my boss, Gideon, but he rejected her because while the vampire bitch is a Princess of Heart, she's not a Keyblade Wielder, and not suited for his purposes. So he threw her out like the garbage she is."

"That's still not reason for me to be targeted in the first place!" snapped Nessie, "Gideon made my life a living hell, and he sure didn't make things easy for my friends and family. Then Gideon had the balls to blast me, Jacob and the others out of our world and into this universe. If I ever get the chance I'll rip that bastard Gideon apart and burn the pieces, but that would be an insult to vampires.

"Either way, what Gideon did to me was monstrous and unforgivable, and I wouldn't wish what I went through on anyone."

"Well too bad," said Roxie in a mocking tone, "Gideon already has found the one he needs, a Keyblade Wielder who's also a Princess of Heart. As we speak, my chauvinistic asshole of a comrade, Todd Ingram, is capturing Kairi."

"You leave Kairi alone!" snapped Olette.

"Oh, so you know her?" Roxie asked in a sinister tone as she smiled viciously, "well, it seems your friend is in for a rude awakening."

Just then came the sound of a cell phone ringing, and it came from Roxie's pocket.

"Damn it, Gideon!" snapped Roxie as she irately pulled out her phone, "never a moment's peace with you, isn't it!" she answered the call, "What!" she snapped, "what is it, Gideon? What is so important that you have to call me every five minutes? Well…what is it, damn it?"

* * *

><p>...New Hollow Bastion...<p>

In Maleficent's dark throne room, Gideon, who looked like he was on the verge of losing his temper at being snapped at by his subbordinate, still remained calm as he answered Roxie's abrupt question, "I was about to tell you, before you got all in my face, Roxie, that Todd's dead, killed by The Keyblade Brats and their allies."

"What? Todd's dead again?" Roxie exclaimed, "how'd that happen?"

"Never mind that," said Gideon, "I can resurect him later. What matters is that with Todd dead, as well as Matthew and Lucas, I need you…"

"Those two are also dead?" Roxie exclaimed, "Why the hell didn't you let me know? You could have at least texted it to me."

"I've been trying to contact you for ages now!" said a highly irate Gideon, 'what the hell have you been doing all this time? Hooking up with strangers and having wild orgies?"

"I've been doing what you sent me to do on this god-forsaken world," said Roxie, "creating chaos. I've been studying the Princess of Heart Jasmine and her street rat of a beau, as well as learning the layout of Agrabah, all so I can assassinate those two and plunge the world into chaos."

* * *

><p>"You've been spying on us?" Jasmine asked, "all so you can kill Aladdin and me?"<p>

"Shut up, bitch!" snapped Roxie, "I'm on the phone here!" she then spoke to Gideon, "sorry, this isn't the best time to talk, I'm really close to finishing the job here."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to take a rain check on this little project of yours," said Gideon, "with Matthew, Lucas and Todd severely indisposed, and with the twins still AWAL, it's going to have to be you, Roxie, to capture Kairi. Oh, you're going to have to capture Aiden as well."

"And just who the hell is Aiden?" Roxie asked, "no, wait, never mind. I don't need to know, because I'm not doing that."

"Excuse me!" exclaimed Gideon, "what did you say? No, I know what you said, but I won't accept it! I didn't resurect you from the time that Scott and Ramona killed you just so you can go do whatever the hell you want. You will come back here so you can receive instructions on how to capture the girl I need, and the boy that Maleficent needs. You will do this, or else I'll leave you do die again!"

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much," said Roxie, "and Maleficent can kiss my lesbian ass for all I care."

"You're a lesbian?" Olette asked in a shocked tone.

"It's not that obvious," said Alice.

"You would have figured it out eventually," said Roxie. She then spoke into her phone, "I'd love to keep arguing with you, Gideon, but I have a princess and a street rat to kill, and there's a bunch of vampires and wannabe heroes in my way."

At that Gideon tensed in shock, "what was that? Did you say vampires?"

"Yeah," said Roxie, "and one of them is that half breed that you were so hung up about."

"Well don't just stand there like an idiot!" said Gideon, "put her on the phone!"

"Why should I?" Roxie asked.

"Because I'll kill you here and now if you don't!" said Gideon as he gave a signal to The Negotiator, who pulled out his PDA and activated a feature that would have made the battery in Roxie's phone explode, killing her.

"Oh whatever," said Roxie, "I'll do it because I want to, not because you tell me to," she held out her phone to Nessie, "Gideon wants to talk to you."

"I'd rather eat the rotten asshole of a road kill skunk than talk to that bastard," said Nessie as she, nevertheless, took Roxie's phone and put it to her hear, "Gideon."

"Hello, Renesmee," said Gideon, "how lovely to hear from you again."

"You're the one who wanted to talk," snapped Nessie, "what do you want?"

"I just wanted to say hello," said Gideon, "that's all, and also to see how you're doing."

"I'm royally pissed, Gideon," said Nessie as she gripped the phone tighter, causing the plastic casing to start to crack, "I'm pissed that you stalked me, that you harassed my friends and family, and that you blasted me and my loved ones out of our world. I'm pissed, and I'm gonna make you pay for it, big time."

* * *

><p>"Oh really?" Gideon asked, "well, just how are you going to do that?"<p>

"That's my dirty little secret," said Nessie, "but I'll say this; as soon as I'm done with what I'm doing right now, and take care of a few more things, I'm coming for you, Gideon Graves. I'm coming to kill you. If I get the chance I'll destroy Maleficent as well, but my main target is you, Gideon."

"I can't wait to see how you do that, little half vampire," said Gideon as he gave the signal to The Negotiator to blow up the phone. The pinstriped demon pressed the button, sending the signal to Roxie's phone and the battery began to overload.

"Get rid of the phone!" shouted Alice.

Nessie, who had already felt the phone heat up, threw it as hard as she could and it exploded at the ceiling.

"Hey!" snapped Roxie, "that was my phone! I had to pay for that!"

"You'd think that Gideon would pay for your cellular coverage," said Nessie.

"He does," said Roxie, "but he made me buy the actual phone, and that was a multi-dimensional phone. Those don't come cheep!"

* * *

><p>"I don't think that did any actual harm," said Gideon, "but at least I had the last word."<p>

"Shall I send Roxie another phone?" The Negotiator asked, "charged to her account?"

"No," said Gideon, "not now anyway. She's good as dead, so prepare to resurrect Roxie as well. There's only one thing left now. Find the twins and get the, over here now, I mean it. If I don't see Ken and Kyle Katayanagi here in New Hollow Bastion in 24 hours, or else!"

* * *

><p>"You stupid little half breed bitch!" snapped Roxie as she glared at Nessie, "you and your friends are so dead!"<p>

"That'd be kinda hard to do," said Nessie, "since my aunt and uncle are already dead."

"Guilty as charged," said Alice.

"Well then," said Roxie, "why don't we make this between me and the freak here."

"I've had just about enough of you making fun of me," said Nessie, "okay, I'm half human half vampire, but that doesn't give you the right to keep insulting me."

"I'm just getting started," said Roxie, "oh, and your friends suck too."

"Don't you dare bring my friends into this!" said Nessie as she placed her hand on the handle of her sword, "I'll slice you up the middle!"

"Then do it!" said Roxie as she untapped her whip-like sword from her shoulder and snapped it against the ground, sneding a small shower of rocks into the air, "come and get me, bitch!"

"Gladly!" snapped Nessie. With that she and Roxie rushed at each other so fast that the two of them were little more than blurs. They met in midair, their blades clashing at each other hard enough to create sparks. The two blurs then broke away from each other, only to smash together on another part of the room, making more sparks. The two of them then zoomed around the room, fighting so fast that not even Alice and Jasper could see what was really going on.

"How can that evil girl be so fast?" a shocked Pence asked, "she's human for crying out loud!"

"She's part of Gideon's inner conclave," said Jasper, "The League of Evil Exes all have their unique diabolic powers. Roxie happens to be part ninja, and that gives her enough strength and speed to keep up with vampires, or at least with Renesmee."

"But Nessie's way better than any part-ninja Villain," said Olette, "she can totally take this evil woman!"

"I hope so," said Hayner, "but can't we do anything to help?"

"We could definitely take that bimbo down," said Alice, "but I doubt that Nessie would appreaciate us stepping in on this."

Just then Nessie delivered a strike powerful enough to knock Roxie out of the air. The blond villainess fell to the floor and landed hard on a gold statue, catching her leg and twisting her ankle.

Nessie landed gracefully on the head of another gold statue, "is that all you've got, ninja-girl?" she asked.

"Not bad," said Roxie as she got back up and felt her ankle, realizing that she hadn't hurt it as seriously as she did, "I'm ready for another round. But that's not gonna happen."

"You're giving up so quickly?" a disappointed Nessie asked. She then blinked several times, as if clearing her vision of blurs, "I'm shocked that you would do that," she blinked again, then suddenly lost her balance and fell to the ground.

"Nessie!" shouted Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will, Kirjava, Alice and Jasper as they ran to her.

"I…I don't feel so good," Nessie gasped as her face paled even further and sweat broke out on her face, "what…what's happening to me?"

"You!" snapped Jasper at Roxie, "what did you do to her?"

At that Roxie grinned viciously, "Did you honestly think that I would fight vampires and not be prepared? I had a plan already in place, one that I really didn't count on, but it worked nonetheless."

"What is she talking about?" Pence asked, "she didn't pull a fast one, at least I didn't see her pull a fast one."

"And she didn't make any decisions that I saw," said Alice.

"But if what she did relied on an accident," said Jasper, "then…"

Just then Nessie looked at the back of her left hand and saw a small scratch on it, "you cut me during our fight. I…I was so intent on wining that…I didn't notice…one little…scratch."

"And that one scratch was all that I needed to infect you with poison," said Roxie, "poison specifically designed to target the human half of you. It's super effective against humans, but just what it'll do to half breeds like you even I couldn't guess."

At that Alice ran over and grabbed Roxie by the neck and held her up, forcing the blond ninja to drop her poisoned whip sword, "where's the antidote? Tell me or I'll rip you apart!"

"I'd be worth dieing," gasped Roxie, "just to take the little reject with me."

"It'd be my pleasure to kill you," said Alice. She raised her other hand to start tearing off Roxie's limbs, but then she gasped in surprise, "oh, this is the part of my big vision that I was waiting for! The really good thing is about to happen." She then tossed Roxie over her shoulder, the blond ninja landing hard on a pile of gold coins like a sack of potatoes.

"What good thing?" Will asked, "Nessie's about to die, so how can any good thing happen right now?"

Just then a man who looked like a very pale 17 year old with short, bronze hair and gold eyes, wearing a blue jacket and jeans, ran into the chamber and carrying a large shoulder bag, "She means me," said the vampire.

"Edward!" said a surprised Jasper. He then looked at Alice, "you couldn't have at least told me that our own brother would be coming here instead of us finding him? I thought you trusted me!"

"I do," said Alice, "but I didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"You're Nessie's father?" Pence asked the vampire, Edward Cullen.

"I am indeed," said Edward, "and it pleases me to meet my daughter's friends," he walked over Nessie.

"Papa?" Nessie asked, "is…is that you? Something's wrong…with my eyes…I can't …see very well right now."

"You're not at all well, my dear Renesmee," said Edward, "the poison won't kill you, but you're going to be very sick for a quite while, unless we get some fresh blood into you within the next ten minutes."

"It'll thae us at least that long to get us out of here," said Alice.

"She's not in any condition to hunt," said Jasper, "unless…"

"Unless it's human blood," said Alice as she looked at Hayner, Pence, Olette and Will.

"Yes, human blood," said Edward, "I wish to god almighty that it didn't come to this, but there's no other way."

He looked at Hayner, Pence, Olette and Will, "One of you needs to donate a pint of blood," he said as he took out from his shoulder bad the items needed for a blood transfusion; a large-gauge needle, plastic tubing and a blood donation bag.

"What?" the humans asked all at the same time.

"One of you needs to give some of your blood," said Edward as he held up the transfusion bag and needle, "just one should be enough."

"NO!" shouted Nessie, "no…human…blood! I won't…do it! I won't…drink it!"

"You have to," said Alice, "I've seen what's going to happen to you if you don't get some fresh blood into your system soon. The poison won't kill you but it'll seriously damage your human half enough that you'll be crippled. You'll lose all your strength and speed. And don't get me started on what it'll do to your mind."

"In that case," said Will as he rolled up his sleeve, "you can take as much blood as you want from me."

"No, take mine!" said Pence as he held out his arm, "I've got more than enough blood."

"If anyone's gonna have their blood drunken by their friend it'll be mine!" said Olette as she held up her arm.

"No, mine!" said Hayner as he held up his arm.

"No!" Nessie insisted, "I won't…drink human blood! I won't be…a monster!"

"You won't become a monster by taking one unit of human blood," said Edward, "you've had it before and it didn't harm you in the slightest."

"But…but the smell," said Nessie, "you, and Alice…and Jasper."

"We'll hold our breath," said Jasper, "don't worry about us."

"The only bad thing that'll happen," said Alice, "is if you don't take the blood."

"I'm not going to argue with you, Renesmee Carlie Cullen," said Edward in a serious tone, "you will have this blood, even if I have to force it down your throat. And if your mother were here she'd agree with me whole heartily."

"I hate it…when you put your…foot down, papa," said Nessie in a conceding tone, "alright…just give me…the damn stuff."

"Right," said Edward. He then pulled out some alcohol swipes and looked at Olette, "just sit down and relax, this won't hurt a bit."

"I've had blood samples taken before," said Olette as she sat down and let Edward sterilize her arm, then the needle and hooked it up to the blood bag, "it hurts. But this is for Nessie, it'll be worth it."

Edward then inserted the needle into Olette's arm. She winced against the pain as her blood flowed into the bag. A few minutes later it was full and Edward gently pulled the needle out and bandaged the wound.

"Just keep it clean and you will be healed soon enough," said Edward. He then took the donated blood over to Nessie, "here, little one, you must drink it."

"If I do…" said Nessie as she looked at the blood as if it were the most desirable thing in existence, yet also the most repulsive thing at the same time, "if I drink that blood…I don't know if I'll be able to stop. I'm not strong enough."

"You are," said Edward, "you have so much of both myself and your mother in you, and your mother has always been stronger than I am, both before and after she became immortal. You are strong, Nessie, strong enough to walk through fire."

"Actually she was burned a bit a while back," said Pence.

"Yes, I know," said Edward, "and it pleases me not that my own daughter was forced to hurt herself at the hands of one of Gideon's maniacs."

"It wasn't that bad," said Nessie, "and we paid Lucas back double what he did to me," she took the bag of blood from her father, hesitated for a second, then bit into it and sucked it dry in a manner of seconds. It wasn't long before her normal color returned to her face and she looked like she was in perfect health again.

"Are you alright?" Olette asked in a slightly woozy tone.

"I'm perfectly fine," said a smiling Nessie as she stood up, "never better. But you don't look so good yourself."

"I'm a little dizzy from the loss of blood volume," said Olette, "so I'm just gonna sit here for a while until I feel better."

Just then Roxie got back up, glaring at everyone with unadulterated loathing in her eyes, "too bad you won't feel anything again when I'm done with all of you!"

"You're one of Gideon's dogs," said Edward in a calm but still angry tone as he faced Roxie. "You do know that he's manipulating you, that he has been using you since you first joined with him. In fact, you do know it, you've known all along."

At that Roxie blinked in shock, "What are you taking about?" she shouted, "he's not using me! I only joined with Gideon so that I could kill that punk-ass loser Scott Pilgrim."

"I know," said Edward, "you hated Scott Pilgrim, and Ramona Flowers. You hated him because he dared to love the one you loved, and you hated her because she abandoned you. But in truth, Roxanne Ritchers, the one you hate the most is yourself."

"What?" a shocked Roxie asked.

"You hate yourself for being _only _half ninja," said Edward, "you hate that your family disowned you for stealing their secrets and selling them to the highest bidder. You hate yourself for being a lesbian. You hate that you cannot truly feel love, only lust. And there's so much more, so much hate and rage rattling around in your mind and heart."

"You're in my head!" snapped Roxie, "Get out of my head! Get out!"

"I'm only hearing what you're thinking," said Edward, "I can't help it if you're negative memories are constantly screaming inside your mind."

"Get out!" shouted Roxie as she pulled out a double handful of shuriken and threw them at Edward. He easily caught the throwing stars with one hand and crunched them into one solid, harmless lump.

Roxie then dropped a smoke bomb that obscured her for a few seconds. When the smoke cleared she was gone, only to reappear behind him with a pair of knives in her hands. But Edward blocked her knives, then took them from her faster than anyone could blink.

"You think you're better than me?" snapped Roxie, "you think you can get the better of me?"

"You're the one who with the inferiority complex," said Edward, "and paranoid to boot."

"Shut up!" shouted Roxie, "shut the hell up!" she backed away and unzipped her jacket, revealing a bomb vest loaded with several blocks of C4 connected to a remote controled detonator, "I'll bring this whole freaking place down!" She held up a detonator switch.

"You're not going kill yourself," said Edward, "you're not that desperate to commit suicide."

"Even if you could you're not going to do it," said Alice, "I don't see any possible future where you consciously blow yourself up."

"You don't know what I'm capable of," said Roxie, "I'll do it! I mean it! I'll kill you all!"

"No you won't," said Edward, "you're hoping that something's going to happen that'll stop you from doing it. But the only one who can stop you from destroying yourself is you."

"I…I…" said Roxie. She looked like she didn't know what to do, like she was unable to choose what to do. But finally she lowered the detonator switch.

But then there was the sound of something beeping, something that came from the back of Roxie's head. Her eyes completely dilated as she stood straight, as if something was controlling her. Her face was completely emotionless as she slowly raised the detonator switch again.

"What's happening to her?" Nessie asked.

"Her mind has been taken over!" said Edward, "it's Gideon, he's planted one of his control chips into her head and it's making her kill herself!"

"I did not see this coming!" said Alice, "everyone run for it!"

"We'll never get away in time!" said Edward.

"Stop!" shouted Olette as she raised her staff, casting a spell that froze Roxie in time, with her thumb barely above the button.

"That won't last for long," said Olette as she, already weakened from the blood loss, collapsed to the ground.

"Now would be a good time for running," said Hayner as he and Pence helped Olette up.

"No chance," said Edward, "that bomb has enough destructive power in it to destroy everything in thirty miles."

"It'll destroy Agrabah as well," said Aladdin.

"Can we disarm the bomb?" Alice asked, "if we just pull the right wire…"

"It's been rigged against disarming," said Edward, "any attempt at disarming the bomb would set it off."

"If we can't stop the explosion," said Nessie, "then we can contain it!" she closed her eyes in concentration, her hands began glowing with blue magic. She then shot the magic at Roxie and put an energy barrier around the suicidal Roxie.

"It's not strong enough!" said Alice, "the bomb will break through!"

"Can't we just rush her and take the detonator before the spell wears off?" Hayner asked, "why the hell are we just standing around here for?"

"If we move any closer she'll still kill us," said Alice, "her reflexes have been amplified by the control chip. If we try to get closer, even at vampire speed, even with the spell keeping her frozen, she'll press the button quicker."

"Genie!" shouted Aladdin.

At that Genie popped in, "you shouted, Al? what semi-phenomenal, nearly cosmic miracle can I do for you?"

"Can you make Nessie's magic stronger?" Aladdin asked.

"You got it, pal!" said Genie, "one magic boosting jolt coming right up!" he then zapped a bolt of magic at Nessie.

"Whoa!" shouted Nessie as Genie's bolt coursed through her body, "major head rush!" her own magic then pulsed brightly and the shield around Roxie intensified.

Just then the Stop spell wore off. Roxie pressed the button and the bomb went off. The contained explosion nearly blinded Hayner, Pence, Will, Kirjava, Aladdin and Jasmine, while the vampires and Genie were unaffected.

Seconds later the intense light faded and there was nothing left of Roxie but smoke.

"That's not fair," said Nessie, "she was about to give up, maybe even see reason, but Gideon made her kill herself. It's not right." she then shouted as loud as she could, "IT'S NOT RIGHT!"

"My what incredible lung capacity do you have," said Kirjava.

"I guess I overreacted," said Nessie, "but I don't regret it. I'm not gonna forget this, seriously." she looked at Edward, "you can lecture me all you want about how revenge is never the answer, that I shouldn't give in to my own inner darkness, but I'm not going to let this go, daddy. I won't be satisfied until I put Gideon in his grave."

"I won't deny that I'm not happy you feel this way," said Edward, "but I won't stand in your way either. Gideon wronged you more than he wronged the rest of us. I'd be a poor father to deny you your justic., and it's not revenge, it's justice. Now," he walked over and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "let's go find your mother."

* * *

><p>A short time later found Aladdin, Jasmine and Genie safely back in Agrabah, while Nessie, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will, Kirjava,, Jasper, Alice and Edward were all onboard <em>The Voyaging Light.<em>

"And that's it for the grand tour," said Hayner as he finished showing Edward around the ship, "'course, you probably already know everything we know about the ship from our heads."

"I can keep out peoples thoughts if I choose to," said Edward, "I'm from a time period where good manners were more valued than they are now, so I know how to respect people's privacy. I only heard your thoughts on what wild escapades you and Nessie have been on, and how much she means to you as a friend."

"That means a lot to us," said Olette, "and it's so nice to finally meet Nessie's dad. She just won't stop talking about you."

"And just what have you been telling your friends about me?" Edward asked Nessie.

"Only that you're the most wonderful man in the world," said Nessie as she affectionately held onto his arm, "except for Jacob of course."

"You've spoken with him," said Edward, "and he's with another group of heroes, whom are also collecting gold keys needed to unseal the means to destroy Gideon and so much more evil."

"You got all that from our heads?" Pence asked.

"Just my head," said Nessie, "we have five keys, daddy, and by now Jacob, Sora and the others must have five as well and only three more to go, we hope."

"So there's not time to waste," said Edward. He looked at the holographic map of the worlds, "you've been to five so far," he indicated Port Royal, Halloween Town, Deep Jungle, Wonderland and Agrabah, "now where to go next?" he looked at Hayner, "that's a good idea, checking your homeworld."

"Homeworld," said Pence, "Hayner, are you thinking…"

"About going back to Twilight Town and checking for a key," said Hayner, "yes. There could have been a key on our world the whole time and we never knew about it. So let's go back and see if it's there."

"I've got nothing against checking back home," said Pence, while Olette nodded in agreement.

"We have no objections," said Alice, while Jasper nodded in agreement.

"No objections here," said Will, while Kirjava nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go," said Hayner, "Vivi, set course for home."

"Course laid in," said Vivi, "entering hyperspace, now!" with that the Voyaging Light jumped into hyperspace.

**The end of chapter 4.**

Next time we switch back to Team Sora as they arrive at Disney Castle and meet with Yen Sid and Merlin to discuss matters of grave importance. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	5. Chapter 5: Conclave of Magic

Last time we focused on Team Hayner as they arrived at Agrabah. They soon found themselves beside Aladdin and Jasmine in the middle of a Heartless battle which escalated into an assassination attempt made by a shadowy figure.

We soon learned of a rumor of a hidden treasure room in The Cave of Wonders. Nessie and the others reasoned that this may be the location of a talisman key, so off to the cave our heroes went, with Aladdin and Jasmine along as well.

After braving past several death traps, our heroes located the hidden treasure room and found the key, only facing the shadowy assassin again, whom turned out to be Roxie Ritcher, fourth of The League of Evil Exes.

After hearing from Gideon that three of her collogues were dead, Roxie was ordered to go capture Kairi and Aiden, but insisted on fighting Nessie. The vile half ninja wound up poisoning Nessie with a toxin that would have crippled her. But luck was with Nessie as her father, Edward Cullen, arrived with the antidote, which turned out to be fresh human blood, which Olette supplied.

Edward then confronted Roxie's inner darkness, resulting in a hidden control chip, implanted by Giden, forced her to blow herself up, yet our heroes and allies lived to see another day. With their fifth key and Edward found, Hayner and his group headed back to the stars, their destination; home. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 5: Conclave of Magic**

"And so there Jake and I were," said Bella, "he's trying to convince me to stay human. He's putting up a huge argument that he could give me everything that Edward couldn't; life, warmth and everything. I told him that my mind was already made up, that I wanted Edward and immortality.

"Jacob then flat out confessed that he was in love with me and had been for a long time. I told him that I wasn't in love with him, but he was hell-bent of proving me wrong. That's when he kissed me."

"He did?" Tess asked.

"Right on the mouth," said Bella, "he surprised me before I could stop him. I tried to push him away but he was a lot stronger than me back then, so basically I had to wait for him to stop."

"But I didn't hurt you," said Jacob, "I wasn't thinking straight back then and I did apologize later, but I didn't hurt you at all."

"Not yet you didn't," said Bella, "so I was just standing there, waiting for him to calm down. I asked him if he was done, he said yes, and that's when I punched him right on the mouth, whammo!" she them mimed throwing a punch.

At that Sora and the others laughed heartily. They were in the recreation room of _The Intrepid Heart_, trading stories of their adventures. Right now our heroes were listening to Bella and Jacob recount some of the more humorous events of their lives, both before and after Bella became immortal. This particular tale occurred before Bella became a vampire.

"The next thing I knew I heard my hand go 'crunch,'" said Bella, "and my hand really started hurting. I shouted to Jacob that he broke it."

Sora and the others laughed again.

"I didn't break it," said Jacob, "Carlisle said it was just sprained."

"Well it hurt like it was broken," said Bella, "anyway, I was so mad at Jacob I was ready to walk home alone. Eventually I calmed down enough for Jacob to drive me back home. He then told Charlie what happened and Charlie laughed. I called Edward so he could take me to Carlisle. I told him I hit Jacob and he was happy about it but sorry I got hurt. Then I told him Jacob kissed me, and that's when Edward nearly lost it.

"When Edward got there, he and Jacob nearly tore each other apart. Charlie said he'd have to arrest them. I told him to arrest me, since I punched Jacob."

At that Sora and the others laughed again.

"And my hand was only sprained!" said Bella as she too laughed, earning more laughter from Sora and the others.

"You're really funny, Bella!" laughed Aiden.

"What do you mean, I'm funny?" Bella asked.

"Well, you know," said Aiden in a still laughing voice, "your story, you're funny, you're a funny person.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked as she stopped laughing, "what, by the way I talk am I funny?"

"It's just, you know," said Aiden, "it's the way you told the story, it's a funny story."

"Funny how?" Bella asked in a serious tone, "what's so funny about it?"

"I think you're taking this a bit too harsh, Bells," said Jacob.

"Just hang back, Jacob," said Bella, "Aiden's a big boy, he can answer for himself," she then looked at Aiden, "so what do you mean, funny how?"

"It's just, you're funny," said Aiden in a manner of fact tone.

"Let me get this straight," said Bella in an even more serious tone, "maybe I don't really understand because I'm still upset by being separated from my husband, my daughter and the rest of my family. How am I funny, Aiden Mackenzie? Funny like a clown? Am I a clown for your amusement? Do I make you laugh? Is it my job to amuse you? Well? How am I funny?"

By now Sora and the others were worried, for Bella was looking like she had been insulted by Aiden and was waiting for an excuse to vent her anger on the insulter.

Aiden had also realized his situation and was trying to get out of it, but his tongue kept digging his hole deeper, "it's…you know, the way you told the story, you know..."

"No, I don't know," said Bella as she stood up and leaned towards Aiden, glaring at him, "how do I know? You're the one accusing me of being funny? How do I know, so you tell me. How the hell am I so funny? Well? Tell me!"

There was a few tense seconds of silence as Sora, Riku, Kairi, Tess, Donald, Goofy, Lyra, Pan, Jacob, Quill, Embry and even Sidney, all thought that Bella was about to rip Aiden to pieces.

But then Aiden laughed, "get the hell out of my face, you blood sucking freak!"

At that Bella laughed too, "I almost had you, you crazy, alchemy kid!"

It took Sora and the others a few seconds to realize that Bella had been joking the whole time. Soon they all were laughing.

"You almost had us going," said Riku when everyone eventually calmed down, "we really thought you were going to murder Aiden."

"Oh. I'd never do that," said Bella.

"But you would scare him to death," said Jacob.

"Not me," said Aiden confidently, "I've got nerves of steel."

"Wanna bet?" Bella asked. Before anyone could react, she ran behind Aiden and touched his shoulder. This happened in the blink of an eye and Aiden reacted by shouting in surprise and jumping out of his chair.

"Got you again!" laughed Bella and soon everyone was laughing again.

"You really are funny, Bella!" giggled Tess.

"Alright, that's it!" said Bella. She then ran over to Tess and started tickling her that soon had her gasping for breath, "still think I'm funny?"

"More than ever," said Aiden.

"Watch yourself or you're next," said Bella as she backed away from Tess, who was struggling to get her second wind.

"If I could be serious for just a second," said Kairi, "Bella, despite being funny, you've had the kind of life that should be a book."

"If it were a book," said Bella, "it'd have to be in like three or four volumes to give it justice. But you guys, I'll admit that you guys have been through stuff I would never have imagined, and I've seen a lot, not as much, but a lot."

"But we're not indestructible like you are," said Riku, "and we have to sleep."

"True," said Bella, "but at least you guys can dream."

"Sometimes we wish we didn't dream," said Sora, "that L guy kept making us dream of Nessie."

"And Nessie kept dreaming of us," said Riku, "all so we would eventually team up."

"It'd better be worth it," said Bella in an irate tone, "this caused my daughter a lot of discomfort, having her dreams hijacked. If I ever get the chance, I'll rip L a new one."

"I don't think he'd appreciate that," said Tess, "but I sympathize with you. I'm pissed that my dreams were taken over. I don't care if it was for a good reason, that Ryuzaki had no right to use us like that."

"We'll complain when we see him next," said Aiden, "I hope to break his head open. But first we might as well finished what he started for us. We've got to find those keys and get that Talisman so we can kill Gideon and Maleficent."

"But remember," said Kairi, "L told us that Maleficent already died a few times before Sora defeated her, and that we need to kill her three more times to finish her off."

"And there's also the fact that Gideon can bring back his cronies as well," said Riku, "we barely managed to destroy Matthew and Todd. If Gideon brings them back stronger…"

"I don't want to think of that," said Sora, "I just want to focus on finishing the mission so this whole mess will be over with."

"But you keep saying that The Heartless will always be a threat as long as there's darkness in people's hearts," said Aiden.

"Yen Sid told me that," said Sora, "and I'm gonna ask him more about it when we see him and Merlin."

"I certainly hope they can tell us something that'll help us," said Tess, "right now I can't think of anything that'll make things better, other than just killing anything that the enemy throws at us, be it Heartless, Nobodies, demons or outlandish Villains."

"Well, you can count on me to help," said Bella, "I may not be the best of fighters, but I can surely provide a defense that'll stop the enemy in their tracks."

"Just how did you learn how to shield minds like that?" Riku asked.

"I was born with it," said Bella, "as a human, Edward couldn't hear my thoughts, while no other psychic abilities that any vampire had could work on me. When The Volturi set out to destroy my family, all because they thought Nessie was a threat, I was forced to learn how to use my ability at will. Not only can I project my shield around others, but I can also turn it off, so to speak. It took a while, but I can lower my shield from my mind and allow Edward to hear my thoughts," at that she smiled, "at that point I thought of every thought associated with how much I loved him.

"You two, Kairi and Sora, you two are just beginning to realize how great love is. But you're still human, and humans have limits when it comes to emotions."

"Whereas vampires have greater limits on everything," said Riku.

"Well," said Bella modestly, "I won't say that we're not without limits. Remember, where I come from you have to keep a low profile and avoid being noticed by humans. Edward came up with a plan to use various makeup techniques that'll allow him and me to 'age' as the years go by, while the same techniques can be used for Nessie, so as we move to a different town at some point in the future, Nessie can look the way she is, or will be once she stops aging, as a normal teenager starting high school, while Edward and I will be her parents. As time goes by, we'll appear to get older, and therefore be able to stay in one place for years, decades even. Before this Edward and his family had to move every few years in order to not be noticed as anything other than human."

"You really have to relocate every few years?" Kairi asked.

"We're thinking of going to Alaska when the time comes," said Bella, "there's another coven of vegetarian vampires there, like cousins to us. We might go to Vermont, but Forks will always be home to me."

Just then Sidney glared angrily at Jacob. "I don't care of those two are part of your pack!" she said in an irate tone, "I won't clean up after them, it's not in my programming!"

"Well wolves have a hard time using human bathrooms," said Jacob, "Quill and Embry are just as upset by this as you are, but that's just how it is. Now, unless you can come up with a canine-friendly bathroom, we're going to have a serious problem."

"That's not a bad idea," said Aiden as he stood up, "Sidney, does _The Intrepid Heart_ have any spare rooms? Or can we make one?"

"You're planning to do some remodeling, aren't you," said Kairi.

"We might as well make ourselves as comfortable as we can," said Aiden, "unless we can figure out how to fid Aiden's pack mates so they can be human again."

"Let's hope that The King, Merlin and Yen Sid knows something," said Sora. At that Kairi, Riku and the others nodded in agreement.

"Before we get there," said Riku, "remember, Sora, the book."

"What book?" Sora asked. He then blinked in surprise, "oh, _that _book!"

"Hecate's book," said Kairi, "the one we 'liberated' from Hades. We're supposed to give it to Merlin. With that the three of them headed to the science lab and they all unlocked a special safe that Sidney made for them. Inside the safe was the same book that Hades used to try and get Sora and the others to free him from the underworld. With the book safely in hand, Sora and the others prepared for their next port of call.

A short time later _The Intrepid Heart _arrived in orbit around Disney Castle and soon after docked at the castle in the Gummy Hanger. Our heroes exited the ship and were greeted by King Mickey and Queen Minnie. Sora and the others were impressed on how well Lyra, Pan, Jacob, the wolves and Bella were handling talking to a pair of talking mice.

But they easily got along with The King and Queen. Sora and the others assumed that all of their experiences prepared them for just about anything.

"I can't say how happy I am to see all of you back safely," said King Mickey to Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aided, Tess, Donald and Goofy, "we were worried sick about you guys."

"We did have a few close calls," said Aiden, "especially with those two flunkies of Gideon."

"But we took care of those jerks," said Tess.

"What about here, your majesty?" Sora asked.

"That's the odd part," said The King, "this world is the only one that hasn't been affected by the recent Heartless uprising."

"There hasn't been any Heartless around here?" Kairi asked.

"Not a Shadow in sight," said Queen Minnie, "and there haven't been any Nobodies or demons at all."

"But I thought the enemy managed to unseal the Keyholes for all the worlds," said Sora.

"True," said King Mickey, "but this worlds' Keyhole is The Cornerstone of Light, and that in itself protected the world from what the baddies did."

"So your own Keyhole protected itself?" Tess asked, "that gives me an idea."

"You mean if we can duplicate the power of The Cornerstone of Light," said Riku, "and transplant it to the other worlds, we can shield them from the enemy."

"Exactly," said Tess.

"What a hotdog idea!" said King Mickey, "why didn't any of us think of that before? We'll get right on it as soon as Merlin and Master Yen Sid get here."

A short time later found everyone in the massive Throne Room, where Pluto promptly bounded up to Sora, tackled and licked him half to death. "Like clockwork," said Kairi.

Pluto then introduced himself to Lyra, Pan, Jacob, the wolves and Bella.

"I'm impressed," said Aiden as everyone watched Pluto shake paws with Bella, "he's not even phased by the fact that she's a vampire. I'd be shaking in my fur if I were an animal in the presence of someone who drinks blood, animal blood at that."

"Aw, he's just a dog who likes everyone," said King Mickey.

Just then a white portal opened up and Yen Sid, the sage wizard who instructed King Mickey, walked in, "it appears that nearly everyone has arrived," said the sorcerer.

Just then Merlin popped in with a puff of smoke, "Sorry I'm late, I do need to organize my schedule more efficiently."

"Mrs. Cullen," said Yen Sid to Bella, then he looked at Jacob, "Mr. Black, I'm sure you both have much to ask about young Renesmee."

"You ain't kidding, bub," said Jacob as he irately crossed his arms.

"Just tell me if my daughter is alright," said Bella.

"Oh, she's perfectly fine," said Merlin, "why, right now she and her friends have just finished up preventing Aladdin and Jasmine from being assassinated by one of Gideon's inner circle."

"They're on Agrabah?" Riku asked.

"And Gideon tried to kill Aladdin and Jasmine?" Sora asked, "that's just wrong."

"Well I can assure you, Sora," said Merlin, "that your friends are perfectly fine, as are Renesmee and her friends. They were even more fine since Edward showed up."

"What!" exclaimed Bella, "Edward's here?"

"He arrived on Agrabah shortly before the recent battle," said Yen Sid, "and was of great assistance to your daughter and her friends."

"Well, that's a load off of my back," said Jacob in a relieved tone, "if Edward's there, then Nessie's definitely going to be alright."

"She's been perfectly save since her aunt and uncle joined with her group on Wonderland," said Merlin.

"Which aunt and uncle?" Bella asked, "Emmet and Rosalie?"

"No," said Merlin, "those two aren't supposed to arrive in the realms for another hour or so, if my glimpse of the future is correct. No, it's the other ones, Alice and Jasper, whom are with young Renesmee."

"Well that's also a relief," said Jacob. He looked at Sora and the others, "Alice can see the future, so she can see any trouble coming a mile away."

"And if my other glimpse of the future is correct," said Merlin, "then Renesmee's group should soon encounter two more friends, the wolf siblings if I'm not mistaken."

"Leah and Seth!" said Jacob, while Quill and Embry looked up in anticipation.

"So everyone's safe and sound," said Bella, "but when are we going to meet up?"

"Quite soon actually," said Merlin, "Sora, both your group and the others have each five keys, and both will soon find their sixth, with the final key, the thirteenth, that will be found on the same world as the vault which holds The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis."

"Where exactly in Traverse Town is the vault?" Riku asked.

"I can only assume that the vault is somewhere in the second district," said Merlin, "at some point in the Back Alley, but I could be wrong. It may be somewhere in the First District, or even the Third."

"Well that makes things easy for us," said Tess in a sarcastic manner.

"If I can get close enough," said Lyra, "I can ask The Alethiometer where the vault is."

"But first we have to find the last key," said Pan, "and there's still a few more keys to find before that."

"That is for later," said Yen Sid, he then looked at Sora, "I do believe there is something you need to ask my learned colleague."

"That's right," said Sora. He then held up the book, "Merlin, Hades stole this from Athena's library. We probably should have returned it ourselves…"

"But being as we already have one irate god out for our blood," said Riku.

"We thought it would be a good idea to pass it to you, Merlin," said Kairi as Sora gave the book to said wizard.

"Oh, Hecate's book," said Merlin as he eyed the tome, "a well made copy, but a copy nonetheless. If this had been the original, then Hades would have managed to escape on his own."

"It's not as powerful as the original?" Tess asked.

"Of course it's not as powerful," said Merlin, "Hecate's book has all the magical knowledge in the universe. A copy, no matter how well made, wouldn't be as potent as the original."

"Then the copy that Maleficent made of the copy would also be less powerful," said Aiden, "especially if she only copied half of the book."

"We'll worry about that later," said Riku.

"I'll be sure to make sure that this gets back to where it belongs," said Merlin. He then vanished the book, clearly sending it back to Athena's Library, "now, if we can get away with paying an overdue fee, we'll be alright.

"Indeed," said Yen Sid, "and now to the more pressing matter, there are several issues that Merlin and I need to discuss with Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess, as well as Roxas and Naminé, and I believe my apprentice, Mickey, should be there as well."

"Before you guys go," said Jacob, "could you take a look at Quill and Embry?"

"Jacob's friends are stuck as wolves," said Sora, "they got stuck when Gideon blasted them."

"Is that so," said Yen Sid in an intrigued tone.

"Are they here now?" Merlin asked.

"And eager for a cure," said Jacob as the two wolves walked up to the two sages.

"Well, let's take a look," said Merlin. He bent down and examined the two trapped shape shifters from different angles. After a few minutes of contemplation, he straitened up and looked at Jacob with regretful eyes, "I'm sorry, young man, but I'm afraid that there's nothing my magic, incredible as it is, can do to help your friends."

"I regret that there is nothing I can do either," said Yen Sid.

"Oh come on!" said an annoyed Jacob, "there's got to be something that you guys can do to help. Anything."

"I wish there was something that could be done," said Merlin, "but I fear that anything that I or my learned colleague here would try would only make things worse for your two friends."

"How worse?" Jacob asked cautiously.

"You do not wish to know, young man," said Yen Sid.

"Oh," said a very disappointed Jacob, while the two wolves looked equally depressed.

"But all is not lost," said Merlin, "every problem has a solution. One just needs to think in order to solve it."

"This dilemma does have a simple solution," said Yen Sid, "destroy the one who cursed your friends and said curse will be lifted."

"Kill Gideon?" Jacob asked. He smiled eagerly as he cracked his knuckles, "easily done." At the same time the two wolves eagerly wagged their tails in anticipation of the coming slaughter of the villain.

"And now that that business is done with," said Merlin as he looked at Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Roxas, Naminé and The King, "I do believe that we all have a more pressing matter to discuss in private." With that he zapped Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Roxas, Naminé and The King and himself to the library, while Yen Sid teleported as well.

"Will you warn us before you do that?" Aiden asked in an irate manner.

"Sorry," said Merlin, "there's so much to discuss and so little time to talk about it," he waved his hand and several comfortable chairs and sofas appeared, as well as a large table with a tea service. The two magic users bade Sora and the others to sit down.

"As of now you five have been full Keyblade Wielders for some time," said Yen Sid, "you've demonstrated incredible power, and with it outstanding courage in the face of evil. But there is more than what you are now. I am speaking of the next level of your powers."

"Keyblade Masters," said Sora, "The King talked about them."

"But he did not explain that once you achieve that level of power you will have access to abilities and fighting moves that you never think of," said Yen Sid, "but I will explain that later. All will be made available to you in due time, but for now there is a far more important tale to tell."

"It concerns a certain Villain that has caused a lot of trouble for the realms over the years," said Merlin, "with one paticular evil plot of his that took place about ten years before you ever even heard of a Keyblade, Sora."

"Ten years before the whole mess with The Heartless started?" Sora asked.

"That would be before I wound up on Earth," said Kairi.

"Yes," said Yen Sid.

"But who is this Villain?" Riku asked.

"You of all people should know, young Riku," said Merlin, "you once were possessed by the very same darkness."

"The Heartless of Xehanort," said a shocked Riku.

"And Xemnes," said Sora, "those two came from the same person; the student of the real Ansem."

"But there's far more to the story than you've been told," said Merlin, "yes, Ansem's prized pupil Xehanort did experiment with the darkness to the point that he became one with it, along with several others."

"Axel, Siax, Demnex, Xaldin, Xigbar," said Roxas, "all of Organization XIII, they were my friends, even the ones who weren't that nice, they were still my friends."

"And some of them were friends to me as well," said Naminé

"Well now is the time to learn of the full truth," said Yen Sid, "The truth of the man who lead your friends to the darkness in the first place."

"Long ago there were thousands of Keyblade Wielders and hundreds of Keyblade Masters in the realms," said Merlin, "they were tasked with protecting the light and banishing the darkness. But evil crept into their ranks, corrupting many hearts. It's far too complicated a story to tell in one sitting, so to make it short, a great and terrible civil war erupted, The Keyblade War, which all but wiped the order of Keyblade Wielders from the face of the universe."

"A handful survived to carry on their legacy," said Yen Sid, "while the remains of the final battle of the war, The Keyblade Graveyard, still exists, but has been made inaccessible for some time now.

"But now we come to the important part," the sage magician looked at King Mickey, "this was when you were still my apprentice, when you still had trouble with your magic."

"Uh, yeah," said a slightly ashamed King Mickey, "I guess so."

"I never knew you had trouble with your magic," said Riku, "not with the way I've seen you slinging spells."

"Well, I wasn't always so great a magic user," said King Mickey, "back in the day I wasn't so patient and more headstrong. This one time I kinda borrowed a piece of magic from Master Yen Sid, the Star Shard, that sent me across the worlds so I could fight The Unversed."

"The what?" Kairi asked as she suddenly stood up, a faraway look on her face as if she was trying to remember something; something very important.

"Unversed," said Yen Sid, "creatures that are similar to Heartless in their wide variety of forms, but highly different from the dark creatures. Unversed were created out of raw, negative emotions and driven by hate and rage. The origin of the Unversed concerns three Keyblade Wielders; Terra, Aqua and Ventus, or just Ven to his friends.

"Terra and Aqua were friends since they were children," said Merlin, "and trained together till their late teenage years, both of them trained under Eraqus, Master of the Keyblade. Ven however, was something else. He was the student of another Keyblade Master, Master Xehanort."

"Any relationship to the Xehanort who caused us so much grief?" Kairi asked, but Sora could tell that she wasn't fully listening to the words said by Merlin and Yen Sid. Sora knew that Kairi was struggling to remember what she had forgotten from long ago.

"They are related," said Yen Sid, "but not by blood. But they had the same motives. Master Xehanort was obsessed with the darkness and traveled to many different worlds and obtained vast knowledge concerning Keyblade lore, the power of Light and Darkness, a detailed knowledge of the Heartless, the mysteries of the Keyblade War and Kingdom Hearts.

"He sought a Keyblade of unparallel power, the _X_-blade, with it he could become the master of Kingdom Hearts without using a Door to Darkness. The _X_-blade, pernounced kye-blade, could only be created by a fusion of light and darkness, and Master Xehanort trained Ven to be that fusion.

"But Ven's heart could not accept the darkness and it was purged. While Ven's heart was healing he lost his memory, and was taken to The Land of Departure, where Master Earqus was teaching Terra and Aqua. Ven woke up with no memory of who he was or where he came from. Terra and Aqua soon became friends with him, almost like older siblings, and Ven became an eager student of Master Earqus.

"At the same time Master Xehanort continued his dark plans by harnessing the darkness that escaped from Ven's heart. This darkness took on a life of its own in the form of Vanitas, whom became Xehanort's dark apprentice. And in time all the unbridled emotions raging inside Vanitas manifested in the real world as Unversed. Vanitas soon learned to control those creatures, and to use them to influence dark emotions in the hearts of others, thereby increasing the power of The Unversed.

"Time went by and it came to pass that Terra and Aqua were ready to take The Mark of Mastery, a test that would make them Keyblade Masters, if they passed. Xehanort was there to observe the exam, while Vanitas observed from the shadows.

"During the exam, Terra's inner darkness briefly manifested itself. His heart was too heavy with darkness, yet he was still able to control himself. Nevertheless, of the two hopeful Keyblade Masters, only Aqua passed.

"After the exam Xehanort left The Land of Departure to initiate his dark plan, while at the same time The Unversed began to run amuck across the worlds. Master Eraquas, sensing trouble on the horizon, sent Terra to investigate and eventually destroy The Unversed, and also to find Xehanort. At the same time Aqua was to secretly follow Terra and make sure that he didn't succumb to his own darkness. Earlier, Xehanort had tempted Terra to use his darkness as a source of power, and this had greatly troubled Master Eraquas.

"All while this was going on, Vanitas appeared before Ven and goaded him into following Terra out into the worlds. Ven had no idea he had just met his darker half and blindly went after Terra.

"The three friends had different but parallel adventures across the worlds, each of them fighting The Unversed and meeting a wide variety of people, some of them helping them on their journeys, while others became bitter enemies. One of those enemies you're all too familiar with."

"Maleficent," said Riku.

"That vile witch caused Terra quite a lot of grief," said Merlin, "she briefly took control of Terra's body and forced him to take the heart of one of the Princesses of Heart; Aura, while she was helpless in an enchanted sleep. Said heart was eventually recovered with some assistance of Ven and Aqua, but the experience only fueled the darkness growing in Terra's heart.

"The three friends also met Snow White and Cinderella, while Aqua, if memory serves me correctly, had a brief encounter with young Kairi."

"I met her?" Kairi asked in a shocked tone, "I…" she closed her eyes, "I think I remember. Did she have blue hair and these wide sleeves on her arms?"

"That's her alright!" said King Mickey.

"And did Terra have long brown hair and wide tan pants?" Riku asked.

"I think I remember that guy as well," said Sora, "I…I think it was when we were playing on the beach this one time. And I think I remember seeing Aqua on our world as well."

"Terra, Aqua and Ven all played important rolls in your lives," said Merlin, "each of them in one way or another setting you on the path to where you are now."

"We've never met them," said Aiden, while Tess nodded in agreement.

"True," said Merlin, "but while they had no impact on your past, you two are sure to play an important part in their future."

"How do you that?" Tess asked.

"I'm a wizard, my dear," said Merlin, "knowing things that were, are and what might be, it's all part of being a wizard."

"To continue," said Yen Sid, "as Terra, Aqua and Ven continued their parallel adventures, Master Eraqus realized that Xehanort was planning to force Ven and Vanitas to merge, thereby creating the _X_-blade. At the time Master Eraqus did the only thing he thought he could do in order to prevent the coming of the_ X_-blade; destroy Ven. But he underestimated how much Terra had come to care for Ven. Master and student were forced to fight each other to the death, and in the end Master Eraqus was struck down, while Xehanort watched with vile glee as the tremendous energies released in the battle brought ruin to The Land of Departure.

"Eventually Terra, Aqua and Ven all wound up at The Keyblade Graveyard, where Xehanort revealed his plan to force Ven and Vanitas to merge into the _X_-blade. A great and terrible battle erupted, with Terra fighting Xehanort, Ven fighting Vanitas, and Aqua fighting a mercenary that Xehanort hired, Braig, who would one day become Xigbar."

"No way," said both Sora and Roxas.

"Indeed," said Yen Sid, "in the end Xehanort took control of Terra's body so he could extend his lifespan and see his plans come to fruition. But Terra's spirit, his heart, remained and animated his armor, and the fight resumed.

"At the same time Vanitas had Ven at his mercy and had possessed him, but Aqua, along with young Mickey, drove Vanitas from Ven's body and Ven destroyed his dark brother, but it cost him his heart, leaving him an empty shell.

"Meanwhile, Terra managed to defeat his inner darkness and with it Xehanort, but not destroy them.

"Aqua and Mickey brought the catatonic Ven to my tower, where it was revealed that only his heart would revive him. Aqua brought Ven's body to what was left of The Land of Departure. Aqua took up Eraqua's fallen Keyblade and used it to seal Ven inside The Chamber of Awakening. The whole world was reformatted into Castle Oblivion, where Ven remains sleeping to this day.

"Aqua then went after Terra, eventually finding him on Radiant Garden. Terra was suffering from partial amnesia, while Xehanort's dark influence was asserting itself again. Aqua fought and defeated Xehanort's spirit. Yet her victory was almost in vain, for Terra was on the verge of completely losing himself to the darkness. Aqua dove into the darkness and sacrificed her only means of escape in order to save Terra's life. Terra wound up back on Radiant Garden, where he was found by Ansem the Wise. Left with only fragments of both his memories and Xehanort's, Terra took up the name Xehanort and became Ansem's apprentice. Time went by and the evil of Master Xehanort reasserted itself, eventually culminating in the new Xehanort losing himself to the darkness."

"So that Heartless that used Ansem's name," said a shocked Sora, "and Xemnes, they all came from Terra. All this time we were fighting a Keyblade Wielder."

"What happened to Aqua?" Kairi asked.

"She was, and still is, trapped in The Realm of Darkness," said Yen Sid, "time has no meaning in that horrible place, so she hasn't changed in body. She wandered the darkness, looking for a way out, yet finding none. She eventually encountered Ansem, who had survived the explosion that fouled Xemnes' plan to open Kingdom Hearts. The two of them joined forces and set out, under the direction of L, to drive Maleficent insane. That plan has failed to come to full fruition, resulting in Ansem having to flee the Realm of Darkness, but Aqua stayed behind so she could find a way to defeat Maleficent, if only to avenge Terra and Ven."

"This is intense," said Roxas.

"All this happened before we ever heard of Heartless and Keyblades," said Riku.

"Can anything be done?" Kairi asked, "about saving Aqua? She's been in the dark for so long, it's a wonder she hasn't lost herself to the darkness yet."

"Her heart is still strong," said Merlin, "but yes, the danger of her falling into the darkness is still there. When the time comes she will need to be brought out of the dark and back into the light, by force if it comes to it."

"But now comes the more dire part of the tale," said Yen Sid, "Sora, because you defeated both the Heartless and Nobody of Xehanort, because you destroyed the heart and the flesh it came from, then the original form, Master Xehanort, was revived."

At that Sora, Riku and Kairi were struck silent. Even Aiden, who had never met the Ansem Heartless or the Nobody Xemnes, was shocked at the fact that the evil that is Master Xehanort, was alive again.

Tess then broke the silence, "so what you're saying is that we're all going to have to fight this evil Master Xehanort."

"As if we've got enough on our plates as it is with Maleficent and Gideon," said Aiden.

"Not necessarily," said Merlin, "aside from the fact that Master Xehanort is alive again, there has been no sign or sound of him since his resurgence. The current theory is that he is biding his time, watching events in the realms unfold, waiting to see which side in the current crisis emerges victorious."

"So the old Xehanort is just gonna sit back and watch as we all fight Maleficent and Gideon," said Riku, "and whichever side kills the other will have to deal with him."

"Master Xehanort was a man who always had many schemes in place," said Yen Sid, "plans within plans. He could be plotting all of our downfalls as we speak."

"But we're all so much stronger than we were when Xemnes and Xehanort's Heartless were around," said Naminé, "I'm sure that if we all work together, we can defeat Xehanort once and for all."

"And if evil Master Xehanort is alive," said Riku, "then maybe Terra is alive as well."

"And we can rescue Aqua from the realm of darkness," said Kairi.

"And find Ven's heart," said Sora.

"We know where Ven's heart is," said Merlin, "it's right in front of all of us."

"What do you mean…?" Sora asked, but all of a sudden he realized the truth, "me…Ven's heart is inside of me."

"What?" Tess asked.

"How can you have more than one heart?" Aiden asked.

"He carried mine for a while," said Kairi, "so it's possible that Sora could have had Ven's heart in him all this time."

"Actually," said Yen Sid, "you did carry Ven's heart, Sora, but that heart was passed into someone else, someone who cam einto being when you freed your own heart and Kairi's heart."

"It's me," said Roxas in a shocked tone, "I've got Ven's heart. But how can that be? I'm still a Nobody."

"You do indeed carry Ven's heart within you," said Merlin, "sealed away, waiting to be returned to its rightful owner. You will still be you when Ven gets his heart back, and unless my glimpses of the future are wrong, both you and Naminé may someday have hearts of your own, and therefore be real people."

"That would be so great," said Naminé.

"On a side note," said Yen Sid, "because you became the host for Ven's heart when you were created, Roxas, his heart influenced your appearance."

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked, "I came into existence when Sora freed Kairi's heart from himself."

"But you don't look that much like Sora," said Aiden, "and from what you guys told me, Nobodies look a lot like their former selves."

"True," said Yen Sid, "Roxas does bare a remarkable likeness to Ven." he showed the image of someone who looked very much like Roxas in age, height, eye and hair color and attire, but he also wore an armored shoulder pad on his right arm and carried a Keyblade with the blade pointed behind him.

"You two could be twins," said an amazed Namine.

"My brother," said Roxas as he held out his hand towards the image of Ven.

"So as soon as we can, we'll bring Roxas to Ven and restore his heart," said Sora, "then you guys really would be brothers."

"But that will have to wait," said Yen Sid.

"First there is Maleficent and Gideon to contend with," said Merlin.

"Oh, right," said Sora, "them."

"Just what is The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis?" Riku asked.

"It is the last surviving artifact of an ancient civilization," said Yen Sid, "one that existed so long ago that only myths and legends tell of their existence."

"Even I," said Merlin, "who have lived in the past and future, know only a little of Zumakalis. It is believed that they were the first people to live in what is now the realms of light. They were the ones who all lived under the light in harmony, and they were the ones who first let in the darkness."

"So my grandmother's stories weren't just stories," said Kairi, "she was telling me what I would one day need to know, what we would all need to know."

"Do we even know what the talisman looks like?" Aiden asked.

"That we do know," said Merlin, "it is a gold disk about eight inches wide, with a silver chain and set with twelve precious stones on one side in a circle, while inside the circle is a heart-shaped indentation set into it On the other hand, since we know what it looks like and where it is, it stands to reason that Gideon knows as well."

"Then we have to get the remaining keys before the enemy get their hands on them," said Tess, "so, is there one here on this world?"

"That's what we're going to find out," said Riku.

"But what about the revived Xehanort?" Aiden asked, "we're gonna have to deal with that son of a bitch sooner or later."

"Bring him on," said Sora, "just as soon as we take care of Gideon and Maleficent."

"In time you will have to face Master Xehanort," said Yen Sid, "and yes, you all have become incredibly powerful. Yet Master Xehanort has never been one to be underestimated. Even though you have grown stronger, there is only one Keyblade Master left."

"Me," said King Mickey, "and I'll admit, if I were to fight evil Master Xehanort head-on, he'd probably clean my clock."

"Which is why," said Yen Sid, "when the time is right, that we shall have a Mark of Mastery test, in which new Keyblade Masters will be chosen."

At that Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess were struck silent as the weight of Yen Sids' words settled on them. Finally Sora spoke, "a Mark of Mastery test, wow."

"So we'll all be Keyblade Masters someday," said Riku, "awesome."

"Like becoming a full State Alchemist," said Aiden, "super awesome." At that he smiled eagerly, "wait till Kaylee and Travis hear of this."

"How are you gonna tell them the news if you refuse to go home?" Sora asked.

At that Aiden had nothing to say, but then his eyes widened, "that's right, I can't go home until we find all seven of the new Princesses of Heart, and we've only found five so far."

"Sara, Usagi, Miley, Lyra and Nessie," said Kairi, "but you won't know who the last two are until you actually see them."

"Exactly," said Aiden, "but we already figured that, since the one's we've already found are all from different Earth's, then the last two would be from parallel earths."

"That still doesn't narrow it down much," said Riku.

"Which is why I want to know," said Aiden, "if there is a way to narrow it down further. I've got the faces of the last two Princesses locked in my head, so maybe there's a way to unlock them."

"Can Naminé do it?" Roxas asked, "can her magic work on your brain?"

"My magic can work on anyone's brain," said Naminé, "I can try to free the memories in Aiden's mind, but I'd rather wait for his consent."

"You've got it," said Aiden, "the sooner we find the last two Princesses, the sooner we can protect them from Gideon's foulness."

"Ok," said Naminé, "just hold still and I'll work my mojo."

"Right," said Aiden as Naminé placed her hands on the sides of his head. She sent a pulse of magic directly into his mind.

But nothing happened, "I don't remember anything new," said Aiden, "are you sure you're doing it right?"

"Of course I'm doing it right," said an irate Naminé, "this is my own magic of course. Now hold still," she sent another pulse of magic into Aiden's mind, but the result was the same.

"Nothing new," said Aiden.

"Dang it!" snapped Naminé, "why won't it work!" she sent more of her magic into Aiden's mind, but now it was causing him some discomfort.

"Ok, now I'm getting a headache," said Aiden.

"I think you should stop before you seriously hurt him, Naminé," said Kairi.

"Or worse, make him forget something," said Tess.

At that Naminé sighed with resignation, "you're right," she sat back, while Aiden slumped back in his chair.

"I don't understand," said Naminé, "my magic should have revealed something."

"I think I get it, sort of," said Aiden, "the visions of the new Princesses of Heart didn't just appear in my head on their own. Someone put them there, and maybe that someone doesn't want me to cheat."

"So we're gonna have to find the new Princesses of Heart the hard way," said Riku, "which means a lot more traveling."

"I guess that's our fate as Keyblade Wielders," said Kairi, "a lot of traveling to other worlds and a lot of meddling."

"Well there's one idea that might just work out," said King Mickey, "Master Yen Sid, Tess had the idea of using The Cornerstone of Light as a model for a means to protect all the worlds from the demons."

"Did she now," said Yen Sid in a thoughtful manner, "yes…yes that may be a viable means of protection. It will take time to duplicate the protective magic across the realms, but it can be done."

"But there is still much to do," said Merlin, "one thing at a time though. First, you younglings need to find the keys."

"Speaking of which," said Riku, "is there one on this world?"

"That's a good question," said The King, "you know," he stood up and walked over to one of the many bookcases in the room, "I think I remember finding something very much like those gold keys. I found it while they were building the castle. I remember that day 'cause that was when me and Pete finally fell out of touch with each other. I just couldn't take being the cabin boy for that bully of a steamboat captain."

"I'm starting to regret that we didn't at least try to do something that would make Pete turn out nicer," said Sora, "when we went back in time to save the Cornerstone of Light. I know, Merlin, you warned us about messing with history, but would it really have made things worse if we tried?"

"Pete's not completely evil," said Kairi, "sure, he's a big fat-cat jerk who follows Maleficent around like a lost puppy or something, but he does have his good points."

"Name one," said Riku.

"He cares for his family," said Kairi, "remember when we caught him back on Radiant Garden? He said that he had to do a lot of what he did because Maleficent has his wife and kids as hostages."

"Oh, that reminds me," said King Mickey, "I heard from Leon and the others on Radiant Garden; the Hakonians broke Pete out of jail."

"You're kidding," said Sora. "I'll bet that Maleficent wants him back."

"Not really," said King Mickey, "from what Leon and Cid told me, the Hakonians who busted Pete out, they said they were the ones who needed him."

"Pete did say that The Hakonians were looking for Reddik and Rakel," said Aiden, "that they want them to the their new leaders, and Pete did hang around with those two, so they want him to find them."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Tess asked, "how can we know for sure if having the Hakonians under new leadership would make things better or worse."

"I don't know," said Riku, "but if they said that all they want is to leave for a new world to start over, then I say let them go."

"But what…" said Aiden, but he stopped in frustration, "you know, right now I've got way too much to think about. Let's just focus on one crisis at a time, okay?"

"Fine by me," said Tess, "so, where's the key that's supposed to be here?"

"I put it in a box somewhere," said King Mickey, "it's…somewhere," he looked up in a thoughtful manner, "now where is it? It's not here in the library. Could it be in a closet somewhere?"

"We'll help you look for it, your majesty," said Sora, "but some of us should start working on copying the Cornerstone of Light's power."

"Sounds like a game plan to me," said Riku.

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"What the hell do you mean we can't send any Heartless to Disney Castle!" snapped Gideon as he anxiously paced back and forth, while Maleficent watched from her throne of darkness.

"That's what the report said, Mr. Graves," said one of the lesser demons, "not a single Heartless, Nobody or demonic minion has penetrated that world."

"And why haven't they gotten there?" Gideon asked.

"Because of The Cornerstone of Light," said Maleficent, "that wretched artifact of positive magic, reinforced by the meddling of Sora and his companions, shields that world from the majority of the darkness. It would require a massive form of evil to penetrate the magical defenses of that world."

At that Gideon smiled viciously, "and I've got just the maniac in mind," he then sent a text message out on his phone. "We know for sure that the brats are on Disney Castle, so all we got to do is bust in, grab Kairi and Aiden, cause a lot of chaos, and bust out, then all our problems will be solved."

"For your sake, you had better hope that whoever you send," said Maleficent, "returns with both Kairi and Aiden," she glared down at Gideon with wrathful eyes, "I am beginning to lose patience with you and your plans."

"This time will work, my dear Maleficent," said Gideon in a placating manner, "guarantee that this guy will get the job done."

"He had better," said Maleficent, "otherwise the consequences will be dire for you."

Just then a short, reptilian demon that stood about 4 feet, and was all muscle with arms that ended in crab claws that could crush steel, scurried into the room. Its indigo skin was like a lizards and it had a spiked tail. The way it ground its teeth gave the creature an attitude of pure rage.

"Whom do you wish for me to obliterate, Mr. Graves?" the reptilian demon, Demolisher, asked.

"I've got a very important job for you, Demolisher," said Gideon, "I need you to bring two people to me and Maleficent, alive and unharmed."

"That's not in my contract," said Demolisher, "you hired me to kill and destroy, not kidnap."

"But these are special circumstances," said Gideon, "we have to have Kairi and Aiden brought here. You can do whatever you want with the others around them, but those two need to be captured alive and intact, understand?"

"Yeah, I get the picture," said Demolisher.

"Have you forgotten that we have been denied access to that wretched world?" Maleficent asked.

"We can't use Dark Corridors there," said Gideon, "but there's nothing stopping us from using Gummy Ships. Those brats aren't the only ones who have space travel you know."

"And you have such a craft?" Maleficent asked as she stood up from the dark throne, "why have you not used it before?"

"Uh…" said Gideon, "I was kinda hoping I wouldn't. It's sort of a luxury gummy ship, very expensive you know, with all sorts of added features that just scream 'rich and famous.' And I just had it detailed, so, you have to understand that I'd only use it if I didn't have a choice."

"Well now you have no choice," said Maleficent, "you are rapidly running out of excuses for failure."

"This time it won't," said Gideon, "it won't."

"Then you'll understand that I will have someone go with your pet demon," said Maleficent, "as a redundancy."

"I don't need help," said Demolisher, "I need no one."

"But this is more than just assistance," said Maleficent, "this is something I have been saving for those pathetic heroes. While you, demon are aquiring Kairi and Aiden, my own creature will be wrecking havoc across that wretched world. This creature will ruin the world and, possibly, destroy some of our enemies."

"And what is this creature of yours that you value so highly?" Gideon asked.

"A Heartless that I acquired after the incident on Metamore," said Maleficent, "the darkness that lay inside a very troubled man."

Just then a lesser demon handed a dossier to Gideon, "Ah, yes," said Gideon as he read the file, "Pantyhose Taro. You split him into a Heartless and a Nobody. So who, or should I say what, are you going to send with Demolisher?"

"This wondrous monster," said Maleficent as she raised her staff. There was a flash of dark magic and a gargantuan Heartless appeared in the room.

The creature that was the cursed form of Pantyhose Taro, a monstrous mixture of a yeti, a bull, an eel, a crane and an octopus, was no even more of a monster as a mutated heartless. Each octopus tentacle ended in a crab claw that could shoot Blizzard, Fire and Thunder spells. The eel-like tail now had two snakelike brothers, each with fangs that dripped with acid. It's limbs were covered in razor-sharp spikes and it's mouth now had triple rows of fangs.

"My Mark 2 Chimericon," said Maleficent as the creature knelt down on the floor before her, "or rather, Chimericon 2, yes, that is a better name, will accompany Demolisher to Disney Castle."

Demolisher looked at the mutated Heartless with appraising eyes, "it'll do."

"It might just work out," said Gideon, "but there's one problem. My gummy ship is way too small for such a great and terrible creature."

"That is easily solved," said Maleficent as she raised her staff and blasted the Chimericon 2 with another bolt of dark magic that shrunk the creature to the size of an action figure, then encased it in a protective crystal, "is that sufficiently small for you?"

"More than enough," said Gideon. He then picked up the crystal-encased Chimericon 2 and gave it to Demolisher, as well as a set of keys to a gummy ship, "get going, my friend. Destroy Disney Castle, but bring me Kairi and Aiden alive."

"Yes, boss," said Demolisher as he pocketed the crystal and keys, then bowed respectfully to Gideon and Maleficent, then left the room.

"This plan will work," said Gideon as he began pacing back and forth again, more to himself than to Maleficent, "it will, it will!"

"If not," said Maleficent, "I have a plan of my own to enact."

Just then Xorat, the Nobody of Pantyhose Taro, walked in, "you asked to see me, oh great and terrible Maleficent."

"I did, Xorat," said Maleficent, "my dark friend, it has become clear that Gideon Graves cannot be relied on, and will soon no longer be needed."

"What?" snapped Gideon, "no! that's not fair! I'm not done yet! I can still make this business partnership work!"

"I am not finished yet," said Maelficent as her staff briefly crackled with dark lightning, "I was saying that he will be obsolete, unless he shows improved results soon."

"And if he doesn't?" Xorat asked, "then will it finally be my turn? I have been training relentlessly since I was created. I am ready for action! Send me now!"

"Soon, my dear one," said Maleficent, "soon."

"You belittle my associates," said Gideon in an irate tone, "your lack of faith in one of my more powerful demons is rather unnerving."

"There is the offset chance that your pet demon will succeed," said Maleficent, "that is why I sent the Chimericon 2 to provide assistance. In the event that the current plot of Gideon's fails, you will step in and deliver the two brats."

"Then I shall wait on standby, oh mistress of all evil," said Xorat, "just say the world and I will fetch the brats." he bowed and left the room.

"He won't be needed," said Gideon, "this plan will work."

"And if it doesn't?" Maleficent asked.

"Then I'll think of something else," said Gideon, "there's still the twins, whom are still MIA, but I'll get them back even if I have to go get them myself."

"That would actually be a viable action on your part," said Maleficent as she used her staff to put a spell on Gideon.

"Alright then," said Gideon, "I'll go fetch them right now," he then pulled out another set of gummy ship keys, "always have a spare ship," he then walked out of the room.

"That controlling spell will only last for a while, my pet," said Maleficent to her raven, "a mere pinprick in his pride, but satisfying on my part. After all, turnabout is fair play."

* * *

><p><strong>...Disney Castle...<strong>

While Riku, Roxas, Naminé, Tess and Queen Minnie assisted Merlin and Yen Sid examine The Cornerstone of Light, Sora, Kairi, Aiden, Lyra, Pan and Jacob helped King Mickey look for the gold key he found long ago. They completely searched the library and the throne room, and now were looking through all the other rooms one by one.

"I never realized how big this place was," said Sora after they finished looking on the 57th room of the castle.

"There's a lot more to go through," said King Mickey, "but I'm sure we're getting close."

"How close?" Aiden asked. He then looked at Lyra, "can't you use that gold compass of yours to find the key?'

"I've been trying to find the key," said Lyra in an irritated tone as she held the Alethiometer in her hands, "but it's hard to consult the Alethiometer and still look in room after room at the same time. I'm trying but I am not getting the answers."

"It's those darn Nobody control rings," said Kairi, "we have to figure out how to get rid of them," she then looked like she had an idea, "exactly what question are you asking the Alethiometer? I mean, what words are you using?"

"I'm asking 'where is the next gold key?'" said Lyra.

"Well," said Kairi, "when we get to the next room, ask it 'is the key in this room?' if it isn't we'll move on."

"And if it is," said Lyra, "then that's the room we need to search! Brilliant!"

"That'll surely save time," said Pan as Lyra repositioned the question hands on the Alethiometer. They got to the next room and Lyra asked the question, "it's not here." They moved to the next room, "it's not here."

Within five minutes they covered dozens of rooms with no luck, but they were making progress.

Just then a loud klaxon sounded through the entire castle, "Now what?" Aiden asked.

"That's not a good sound," said Sora.

"It's a warning system!" said King Mickey, "not for a Heartless attack, but from a space attack."

Just then Chip and Dale scurried up to them, "Your majesty!" shouted Dale, "we've got trouble!"

"A gummy ship emerged from the realm of darkness!" said Chip, "and it's heading straight for us!"

"Just one gummy ship?" Kairi asked, "if the enemy wanted to invade, they'd send more.

"Either Gideon's lost it," said Jacob, "or he's got something really diabolical planned."

"We're not going to give him the chance!" said Sora. He then spoke telepathically, _:Riku! Tess!:_

_:We know, Sora,: _said Riku, :_I just called Sidney, she's getting The Intrepid Heart ready for us and will beam us up in a second.:_

_:Perfect,: _said Kairi, _:we're ready here!:_

"We'll take care of this in no time, your majesty," said Sora.

"Just be careful," said King Mickey, "we have no idea what the enemy is planning."

"We always try to be," said Aiden. A few seconds later Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Donald and Goofy were beamed back aboard _The Intrepid Heart_, leaving Jacob, Quill, Embry, Lyra, Pan and Bella still in the castle.

"I would have beamed them aboard as well," said Sidney as Sora and the others ran from the transporter room to the bridge, "but I figured that only the regular crew would be needed for this excursion."

"We'll be fine," said Sora as they reached the bridge and they all took their stations, "it's just one gummy ship anyway."

"We'll blast whoever's on that ship out of the stars in no time," said Kairi.

"I'm sure you will," said Sidney, "all preflight preparations are complete and all weapons are charged and primed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Aiden as he rubbed his wrists, "alright! Let's do this!"

Riku then piloted the ship out of the Gummy Hanger and back into space.

"Where's the enemy?" Tess asked as they looked at the forward view screen, which showed only the stars and nothing else.

"She's coming right at us," said Aiden as he read the sensor data, "range, 20,000 kilometers and closing fast."

"I don't see it either," said Kairi.

"Don't trust the view screen," said Riku, "it probably has stealth technology."

"Tactical view coming up now," said Sidney. The forward view then showed a 360 degree radar view around _The Intrepid Heart_, showing the sensor range of the ship up to 15,000 kilometers. They then saw an angry red blip shooting past the 13k mark and then past the 12k mark.

"Good grief, it's fast," said a stunned Tess.

"Whoever's on that ship must be either suicidal or eager to kill us," said Riku.

"Then let's not give them the chance," said Sora, "let's get them first! Accelerate to attack speed and lock all weapons!"

"Rodger!" shouted Riku, Kairi and the others. The ship lurched forward and moved to intercept the rapidly approaching enemy vessel.

"We're in weapons range!" said Tess, "all lasers and missiles are locked on target!"

"Fire!" shouted Sora.

The missiles launched and streaked towards the enemy ship, while the lasers shot out, ready to deliver Fire, Thunder and Blizzard damage.

All of the blasts and missiles reached their target, but none of them had any effect.

"I'm reading no damage to the enemy," said Aiden, "they didn't miss, but it's like they all bounced off."

"Hit them again!" said Sora, "fire!"

Another barrage of lasers and missiles shot from _The Intrepid Heart_, but again they all hit the target yet failed to have any effect.

"That ship has really strong armor plating!" said Aiden, "our weapons can't penetrate!"

"What about all of the ship's power?" Sora asked as he pulled out the special key that Cid gave him when he first delivered _The Intrepid Heart_.

"We still need to give that move a name," said Riku as he and Kairi took out the other keys needed to use all of the ship's power in one massive blast.

"We'll worry about that later," said Sora, "Riku, you go to the weapon's control room. Kairi, you take the engine room."

"There's no time!" said Aiden as he looked at the sensor data, "the enemy is coming right for us!"

The tactical display showed that the enemy gummy ship was indeed heading straight for _The Intrepid Heart_.

"Now I know that they're suicidal!" said Riku as he hastily piloted _The Intrepid Heart _out of the enemy's kamakaze flight plan.

"Wait a second," said Aiden, "they're not altering course to match ours! They're not going to crash into us!"

Just then the enemy ship shot past _The Intrepid Heart_, heading straight for Disney Castle.

"They're gonna crash into the world!" said Tess, "They're nuts!"

"They're heading for the castle!" said Sidney, "At this rate, they'll completely destroy it when they crash!"

"Can we stop them?" Sora asked, just as Riku pulled a maneuver that nearly threw everyone out of their seats from the g-forces as The Intrepid Heart turned around and chased after the suicidal gummy ship.

"They're too fast!" said Aiden, "wait, I think, yes! They are slowing down!"

"Prepare to fire once we're in range!" said Sora, "we'll grab their attention away from the castle!"

"Uh, I think it's too late for that," said Aiden, "they're still gonna hit the castle. Impact in ten seconds….8...7...6...5..."

"We get the picture already," said Tess. A few seconds later the enemy ship crashed into the castle, but there was very little damage.

"It slowed down enough," said Sidney, "and it's armor and shield cushioned the blow enough so that it only broke through one wall and is stuck inside a room in one of the towers."

"I guess they knew what they were doing all along," said Kairi, "they slowed down just in time so they could get there safely, more or less."

"Then let's get down there and take those crazy bastards to the cleaners," said Aiden.

"My thoughts exactly," said Riku, "Sidney, prepare to beam us down again."

"I hope you all appreciate me for all the work I'm doing for you," said Sidney, "first I get the ship ready to fight, now you're leaving me in orbit again."

"You could always come with us with your mobile emitter," said Kairi.

"And risk getting derezzed by a stray blast?" Sidney asked, "no thank you. I'll stay with my body in space, where it's nice and quiet, thank you very much."

Just then the ship's sensors went crazy, "I'm reading a massive Heartless signature down there!" said Aiden, "and an equally massive demon signature as well!"

"That's the enemy's plan!" said Sora, "they couldn't open a Dark Corridor, so they sent a ship to carry the demons and Heartless!"

"Those evil bastards!" said Tess, "I'm gonna slice them up real nice!"

"You'll have to get in line," said Aiden, "I'm picking up only one demon and one Heartless. Both are really strong, but it's just the two of them."

"Then let's go get them!" said Sora. They headed for the transporter room and beamed back down, arriving in the Throne Room, just in time to see the creature that is Chimericon 2, burst through the wall.

"Isn't that the cursed form of Pantyhose Taro?" Kairi asked.

"I don't think so!" shouted Riku, "didn't they say that that guy got split into a Heartless and a Nobody?"

"This has got to be the Heartless!" said Sora as he dodged a fireball from one of the octopus claws, then avoided a glob of acid from one of the snakeheads.

"I actually prefer the original," said Aiden as he dogged a flailing tentacle, then rolled out of the way of a swipe from the creature's claws. He then jumped forward and tried to attack the monster, but his Keyblade barely scratched its thick hide. He then jumped back to avoid one of it's spiked arms.

Tess then went invisible and tried to get behind the monster, but the snake heads then sent out a shower of acid globs, forcing Tess to become visible and back off. She then had to jump back even further to avoid several Thunder blasts.

"This thing isn't making it easy for us!" shouted Riku as he blasted the creature with his Dark Aura, but it absorbed the blasts. He dodged a claw swipe, then avoided being grabbed by the other paw.

Just then Jacob, in wolf form, along with Quill, Embry, Lyra, Pan and Bella, ran into the room, only to be forced back by multiple Blizzard, Fire and Thunder attacks from the creature.

"We can't let it go any further!" shouted Sora as he dodged an acid glob, "it'll tear the castle apart!"

"I think it has other ideas!" said Lyra.

Jacob and the wolves then tried to attack the Chimericon 2 in a triple pincer move, with Jacob attacking from the front and Quill and Embry on the sides. But the creature, with it's many eyes from it's multiple heads, saw the attack and struck first by blasting the wolves with spells and acid. Jacob and his pack barely managed to get out of the way.

But then Bella ran forward and in the blink of an eye, ripped off one of the octopus claws. She then dodged a fireball from another tentacle, but easily withstood a Blizzard attack as if it were a caressing breeze. She then got hit by an acid glob but it didn't even singe her.

"I'm really getting annoyed by all of this!" said Bella as she ripped off another octopus claw, then one of the snakehead tails.

"You think you're having it tough?" Sora asked as he dodged a Thunder spell, "we've had to deal with this kind of stuff for a long time now."

"Well I don't have to like it!" said Bella as she dodged another fireball, then ripped off the offending octopus claw.

"Well, do you mind of we let you handle this?" Aiden asked, "you seem to be the only one of us who's actually making a difference in this battle."

"Not at all," said Bella as she broke one of the spiked arms of the creature, "it'll make me feel better to destroy something."

Just then Demolisher teleported into the room and kicked at Bella. She barely dodged it, then jumped away to face the demon, "you're one of Gideon's inner circle," she said in an accusing tone.

"I am Demolisher," said the demon, "I am here to destroy you, vampire bitch, and anyone else who gets in my way," he looked at Kairi and Aiden, "except for those two. Those I need to take back with me. Mr. Graves has plans for them."

"Over my undead body," said Bella.

"And over my still living body!" said Sora.

"You're going to have to go through all of us if you want to take Kairi and Aiden!" shouted Donald.

"What he said!" shouted Goofy. With that Sora, Riku, Tess, Donald, Goofy, Lyra, Pan, Jacob and the wolves and Bella, all got in front of Kairi and Aiden and prepared for a huge fight.

"You can count me in as well!" said King Mickey as he ran across the room from the far end, jumped over Chimericon 2, while also delivering a heavy strike to its head with his Keyblade strong enough to stun the monster, then landed next to Sora and stood with the others to protect Kairi and Aiden.

"I was hoping you all would be that way," said Demolisher as he cracked his knuckles, "Mr. Graves did say that I was to make sure that all others were destroyed." His whole body began to vibrate rapidly.

"What's he doing?" Kairi asked.

"I'm about to murder your friends, little girl!" shouted Demolisher. He then seemed to vanish.

"Look out!" shouted Bella as her immortal eyes tracked the creature across the room, but was too late to stop it from reaching Sora and the others. The demon streaked around them, slashing Sora, Riku, Tess, Lyra, Pan, Jacob and the wolves with its claws. Our heroes barely managed to defend themselves from the vicious assault.

Within seconds the demon had inflicted enough damage to Sora and the others to knock them down to the ground. Only King Mickey and Bella were left standing to protect Kairi and Aiden.

But the demon wasn't done yet. It then went after King Mickey, who could barely get his Keyblade up in time to defend himself, but wound up slashed enough times to be knocked down as well.

Demolisher then stopped running and glared at Bella, "now for you, vampire scum!"

"You want me, demon?" Bella asked, "come and get me!" she then ran at the demon, who also ran at her, both of them moving so fast they were little more than blurs in the eyes of the mortals in the room.

Sora, as he hastily drank a Mega Potion to recover from his wounds, then began Healing the others, along with Kairi, watched as Bella and Demolisher streaked around the room. The two clashed together, each contact producing sparks as they raced along the walls and ceiling of the throne room.

But after about thirty seconds Bella came crashing to the floor. Her skin was marked with claw gouges and her left hand was missing, the arm ending in a jagged, bloodless stump below her wrist.

Demolisher then landed next to Bella with her hand in his vile claws, "missing something?" he asked in a vicious tone.

"Give that back!" shouted Bella as she started tog et up, "it's mine! Give it back!"

"No!" said Demolisher. He then rand behind Bella and tore off her right leg below the knee, crippling her.

"You bastard!" shouted Bella, "just wait till I get back on my feet!" already the lesser scratched and gouges were healing, but she was still minus a hand and a leg.

"I think not," said Demolisher as he tossed Bella's missing parts over his shoulder. "As soon as my large friend here is able to, he will incinerate you! Yes, I know that vampires fear fire above all else."

Sora and the others saw that Chimericon 2 was back up and was lumbering toward Bells, it's remaining octopus claws aimed at her, ready to blast her with Fire attacks.

But then there came the sound of a familiar roar, familiar to Sora, Donald and Goofy that is.

"Can it be?" Sora asked in a hopeful tone. He then looked across to the far side of the room and saw Simba running towards Chimericon 2, "It is!"

Simba then jumped and landed on the back of Chimericon 2, his claws ripping the remaining octopus claws to pieces. The creature tried to shake Simba off, but he jumped down from the creature and ran up to Sora and the others, "Hi, Sora," he said.

"Simba!" said Sora, "how did you get here?"

"I'll explain later," said Simba as he took up a defensive stance in front of Sora and Kairi, "right now there's this thing that needs to be taken care of."

"You miserable cat!" spat Demolisher, "I'm going to skin you alive and wear you as a cloak!"

Just then a really tall male vampire, with short dark hair, wearing a gray hoodie sweatshirt and blue jeans and built like a linebacker, ran up to Demolisher, "think again, ugly!" he shouted, then picked up and threw the demon across the room.

"Emmet!" shouted Bella.

"Hey, Bella," said Emmet as he gave her a rather happy smile, "long time no see!"

"is that one of your in-laws?" Kairi asked.

"You'd better believe it," said Emmet.

Just then Demolisher got back up, "you dam dirty vampires!" he shouted, "I'll burn you all!"

But then an impossibly beautiful girl female vampire, with long curly blond hair and wearing a designer top and jeans, grabbed Demolisher and threw him to the other side of the room, "burn that, shorty!" she shouted.

"Rosalie!" said Bella.

"Bella!" said Rosalie, "what happened to you?"

"That demon really did a number on me," said Bella, "he took my hand and my leg and he threw them over there."

"Well, that's you all over," said a grinning Emmet.

"Don't you dare make fun of me!" snapped Bella, "I'll rip your tongue out!"

"Hey, just trying to lighten the mood," said Emmet.

"Ignore him," said Rosalie as she picked up Bella's purloined hand and leg, "he's just happy to see you." She then ran over to Bella and attacked the missing parts. Within seconds the damage had started to heal.

But then Demolisher stood up again, "I have had just enough of you all!" he shouted, "to hell with Mr. Graves and Maleficent! I'll destroy you all!"

"No you won't!" shouted Simba as he ran up to the demon and slashed at it with his claws. He missed as Demolisher vibrated again and vanished.

"He's really moving!" said Emmet, "but we're fast too!" With that he and Rosalie vanished as well. Sora and the others could barely keep up with them as they clashed with Demolisher, each contact producing sparks.

But then after about thirty seconds Demolisher crashed to the ground with both arms ripped off, black demon blood spurting out of the severed joints.

"You bastards!" shouted the crippled demon, "I'll kill you all!"

"You're already dead," said Rosalie as she walked up to Demolisher, "and this is practice for what I'm gonna do to Gideon!" with that she ripped the demon's head off and threw it to the ground. The head and body then dissolved into black slime.

By then Sora and the others had recovered from their wounds and, combined with Simba's help, had ganged up on Chimericon 2 and delivered enough damage to finish it off, with Riku and Tess delivering the killing blows. The creature collapsed to the floor and dissolved into black smoke. A dark purple crystal heart rose from the smoke and vanished into the air.

"Well, that sucked," said an exhausted Aiden as he sat down.

"Why can't we ever get a break?" Sora asked, "are we gonna be doing this forever?"

"I'm getting sick of someone always trying to kill us," said Riku.

"Or kidnap us," said Kairi.

"You think you've now had enough?" Tess asked, "try living my life. But you're right. Enough is enough."

"Let's find those remaining keys and end this mess," said Riku.

"Wait!" said King Mickey, "I remember where I put the key I found! I'll be right back!" he then ran off to a different part of the castle.

Bella had by then completely recovered and was standing up. She had embraced her vampiric in laws, hugging them with enough force to crush a human, "I missed you two so much. But how'd you get here?"

"That's a really weird story, Bella," said Emmet, "one minute we were all trying to get to Nessie and Jacob before Gideon blasted them."

"Nice to see that you're ok, mutt," said an annoyed Rosalie to Jacob, why by now had phased back to human form, "and where is Nessie?"

"She's with friends," said an irate Jacob as he angrily glared at Rosalie, "with friends, we're all gonna meet up later on. Nice to see that you're in one piece, you blood sucking psycho girl."

"Oh please, don't start that again," said Bella, "and don't even think about slinging bad jokes at each other." she then looked at Emmet again, "now what happened with you and Rosalie? What happened when Gideon blasted all of us?"

"We tried to get to Nessie and Jacob," said Emmet, "but we were too late to stop Gideon. The next thing me and Rosalie knew, we were on this crazy world full of talking animals."

"They just fell out of the sky," said Simba, "right onto Pride Rock."

"You were on The Pridelands?" Sora asked.

"That's what they said we were at," said Emmet, "anyway, it took a while for me and Rosalie to convince all the lions that we weren't there to hurt them."

"They were really afraid of us for some reason," said Rosalie, 'we may only hunt animals, but I'd never kill an animal that could talk."

"It took a while but they convinced the pride that they were the good guys," said Simba, "And I had to personally assure Timone and Pumba that they wouldn't be eaten."

"How are things back there, Simba?" Sora asked, "things for my friends and I have been so crazy lately I completely forgot about your world, sorry."

"It's ok," said Simba, "the Heartless did come back, as well as a few demons, but I had things under control, especially after Emmet and Rosalie showed up. After we cleared out a nest of Heartless from hyena territory, Rafiki talked to all of us and said that he knew how open a portal to where you were, Sora."

"That crazy baboon summoned a lot of spirits and they created the portal," said Emmet, "he then said that we'd also find Bella and the others."

"But he didn't say that we'd only find half of our friends and family," said Rosalie.

"Glad to know that you cared," said Jacob.

"Stop it, both of you!" said Bella, "Nessie's safe, that's all that matters right now. Oh, Edward's with her, along with Jasper and Alice."

"Oh, ok," said a much calmer Rosalie, "if they're with Nessie, then I know for sure she's safe."

Just then King Mickey ran into the room holding up the gold key, "it was under the stairs in the basement all along!" He then handed the key to Sora.

"And that's six," said Sora as he took out a piece of string, threaded it through the key and placed it around his neck.

Just then Queen Minnie walked in, a mildly distraught look on her face as she saw the damage inflicted by Chimericon 2, "oh my! What a mess!"

"It's a good thing we're insured," said King Mickey.

"We're really sorry about the mess," said Sora, "we'll help clean it up."

"It's alright," said Queen Minnie, "we were prepared for this eventuality." She clapped her hands twice and an army of Broomsticks and several Handy Helpers began cleaning up the rubble and repairing the damage

"At least Maleficent has one less monster to send against us," said Tess.

"Yeah, but since you and Riku killed that Heartless," said Aiden, "that used to be Pantyhose Taro, and since a Nobody was created by that psycho…"

"That means you and Tess can't fight that Nobody," said Kairi to Riku, "otherwise you could end up bringing Pantyhose Taro back," she looked at Sora, "and god knows we don't want to revive another villain,"

"Hey, if I knew that killing both Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnes would revive evil master Xehanort, I wouldn't have done it," said Sora.

"We'll worry about all of that later on," said King Mickey, "first thing's first. You've got six keys now, and if what Master Yen Sid said was right, the others should have six by now as well."

"Then there's only one left," said Kairi, "on Traverse Town, and with it The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis."

"Then let's get going already," said Sora. He looked at Simba, "we'll drop you off at The Pridelands on the way and seal the Keyhole."

"That'd be perfect, Sora," said Simba, "and if you ever need me, you know what to do."

"One good summoning," said Sora.

Everyone said their goodbyes to King Mickey and Queen Minnie and within minutes Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Donald, Goofy, Lyra, Pan, Jacob and the Wolves, as well as Bella, Emmet and Rosalie, were beamed back aboard _The Intrepid Heart_.

"This is one sweet starship," said Emmet as he looked around the corridor leading to the bridge.

"And how many starships have you seen that you would know?" Jacob asked.

"More than you would know," said Rosalie.

"I've been with these guys for a while," said Jacob indicating Sora and the others, "so I know quite a bit about this particular ship, thank you very much."

"Please don't start," said Bella, "it's bad enough that we're in this whole mess, so don't make it worse by arguing all the time."

Sidney then appeared, "I have a strict no-excessive arguing rule aboard this ship; don't do it. If you break this rule, I'll leave you behind on the nearest inhabited planet."

"Who are you?" Rosalie asked.

"You could say that I'm the heart and soul of _The Intrepid Heart_," said Sidney, "oh, I also have rules about cooking and cleaning; I don't do either. If you make a mess you clean it up, or else."

"You wouldn't really maroon them just for arguing, would you?" Sora asked Sidney.

At that Sidney smiled, "no, I just don't like to have to listen to people arguing all the time."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later the newcomers were settled in and the ship jumped into hyperspace. From down on Disney Castle, King Mickey looked out at the darkening sky and night began, just in time to see <em>The Intrepid Heart<em> leave orbit and jump.

"They'll be alright," said Queen Minnie as she walked out and stood next to The King, "they always are."

"I sure hope so," said King Mickey, "I'm afraid that the worst is yet to come, for all of us."

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"My other half is destroyed," said Xorat in a distant tone to Maleficent.

"What is this nonsense?" Maleficent asked.

"My other half," said Xorat, "the part of me that was my heart, it has been destroyed."

Just then The Negotiator walked into the room, "I fear that I am once again the bearer of bad news, oh great and terrible Maleficent."

"The brats have once again been victorious," said Maleficent in an irate but still calm tone, as if she had been expecting this bit of bad news, "they've destroyed Chimericon 2, and Demolisher."

"Uh…yes," said The Negotiator, "both have been destroyed."

"Send me, great one!" said Xorat in an insisting manner, "send me to destroy the brats and to recover the two brats needed. I will not fail!"

"Not just yet, my dear Xorat," said Maleficent, "Gideon still has one more chance to redeem himself. I wish to see what his last to protégés have to offer."

"The Katayanagi twins," said The Negotiator, "yes, I can assure you, great one, that of all of The League of Evil Exes, those two, Ken and Kyle, are the best, aside from Mr. Graves of course, who happens to be the League leader."

"For his sake, he had better," said Maleficent, "this is his final chance to make good on his plan. If he cannot deliver his promises, then I will dispose of him and all of his demons, and initiate my own plans."

* * *

><p><strong>...Somewhere In Time And Space...<strong>

"This is so, great one," said The Negotiator, "I will, of course," he pulled out his PDA, "inform Mr. Graves of this latest failure, for he is in route to finding the twins as we speak. He will not be happy to hear that Demolisher is no more, and also that his Gummy Ship was destroyed in the process. I'm just glad that he's insured."

"The trail is only an hour or so old," said Hektor, "we've almost caught up with Reddik and Rakel!"

"One more world jump oughta do it!" said Pete, "but what are we gonna do when we catch up with them?"

"We're going to do whatever it takes to get them to come back with us," said Hektor, "too much is at stake for them to just walk away, so let's go get them!" he opened a Dark Corridor and he and Pete ran through it.

The end of chapter 5

Next chapter we switch back to Team Hayner as they wind up deep inside an adventure bigger than they could have imagined. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6: Whale of a Tail

Last time found Team Sora returning to Disney Castle. They were met by The King and Queen, and later met with Merlin and Master Yen Sid. Sora handed over the stolen, overdue copy of Hecate's book to Merlin, whom then returned it to Athena's library. Afterwards, our heroes sat down with the two magical sages and King Mickey and discussed many things, primarily the fact that evil Master Xehanort was alive and on the lose, waiting for the current conflict to come to its conclusion and then enact whatever diabolical plan he has in mind.

Another fact discussed was that Rocas held within him the sealed heart of a Keyblade Wielder from the past, Ventus or just Ven, while also talking about Terra and Aqua. Sora and the others promised to find and save Aqua from the realm of darkness, restore Ven's heart to his body and to somehow find and save Terra.

Yet another fact discussed was that the protective power of The Cornerstone of Light could be copied onto other worlds in the realms of light, thereby ensuring their safety against the darkness forever.

At the same time, Gideon sent one of his more vicious demonic enforcers to Disney Castle, along with Chimericon 2, in order to capture Kairi and Aiden, as well as unleash some chaos on the world.

It was a devastating battle that would have wrecked the castle, had not Emmet and Rosalie, two vampires of the Cullen family, arrived and helped turn the tide against the rampaging demon and Heartless. King Mickey then remembered where he had put a gold key in the castle and gave it to Sora. With six keys found and with Emmet and Rosalie onboard as passengers, our heroes set out for Traverse Town to link up with Team Hayner. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 6: Whale of a Tail**

"I've got the strangest feeling that this whole mess is almost over," said Hayner as he placed his gold key on a small folding table that was set up on the bridge. Next to that key was the one Pence had around his neck, as well as Olette's, Will's and Nessie's.

"We've got five," said Pence, "And by now Sora and the others should have five or six, and we know for sure that one is on Traverse Town."

"How can we be certain that we can trust what Ryuzaki told us?" Olette.

"It's a little late in the game for doubts, isn't it?" Pence asked.

"I'm just saying that that guy manipulated our friends' dreams," said Olette, "sure, it's so we would all be brought together and defeat the darkness, but how can we know that his information is reliable?"

"He seemed to be telling the truth," said Nessie, "as far as I could tell," she looked at Edward, who was admiring the complex machinery of the bridge computers, "what do you think, papa? Was L telling the truth?"

"You know I wouldn't know that," said Edward, "I know that you believe he was telling the truth, or rather, you're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, but in order to know for sure if this L was telling the full truth, I'd have to be there personally to know what he was thinking."

"But you couldn't have been there at all," said Alice as she and Jasper walked onto the bridge, "that L guy pulled Nessie and the others into a dream world, and vampires don't dream."

"That really is a downside to being a vampire, isn't it," said Olette, "I mean, if you can't dream, what's there to live for?"

"Oh, we do have dreams," said Jasper, "as in imagination. Humans only use consciously 10% of their brains. We immortals have access to the other 90%."

"Way to make us feel inferior," said Pence sarcastically.

Alice suddenly sat up in surprise, "uh-oh! We've got company!"

Just then the ship's sensors went crazy and a loud warning klaxon sounded through the bridge.

"Now what?" Pence asked.

"Ship's scanners report a large object fact approaching from six o'clock!" said Vivi.

"There's definitely something out there other than us!" said Olette as she looked at the sensor data, "something big! And alive!"

"What do you mean alive?" Hayner asked.

"That's what the computer says!" remarked Olette, "the sensor's are reading this object as a life form, and a huge one at that."

"What kind of creature can be out here in the middle of nowhere?" Will asked

"I don't know," said Olette, "But it's in visual range! I'm putting it up on the main screen!" the forward view screen then showed a huge, gray-skinned whale swimming in space, on a direct intercept course for _The Voyaging Light_.

"What in the seven hells is that thing?" exclaimed Jasper.

"It's a whale of course," said Alice.

"And it's coming right for us!" shouted Nessie. The view screen then showed the whale thrash its tail, accelerating towards the ship, while opening its maw of a mouth, revealing rows of large teeth that could crush the ship in an instant.

"Vivi!" shouted Hayner.

"Hold on!" shouted Vivi as he pulled _The Voyaging Lig_ht through a hard right turn that threw everyone on the bridge onto the floor. The ship barely got out of the way as the giant whale snapped its jaws close.

"What was that all about?" Hayner asked as they all got up again and back to their stations, "why would a whale want to eat us?"

"More importantly," said Will, "what's a whale doing in the middle of outer space?"

"I don't know," said Olette, "but he's coming around again!"

"Hold on!" shouted Vivi again ad he pulled the ship through another hard turn that avoided the gaping maw of the whale as it tried to bite down on the ship. The whale then turned around and rushed the ship again.

"I assume that this is not normal for your adventures?" Edward asked Nessie.

"Is anything in our lives normal?" Nessie asked in return.

"Good point," said Edward.

"What'd we ever do to that whale?" Pence asked as everyone held onto their seats as Vivi steered the ship out of the way of the whale again. "Why does he want to eat us?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," said Nessie, "unless someone in my family killed a relative of his."

"Don't look at us," said Jasper, "as far as I can tell, no one in the Cullen family has ever killed a whale."

"Although some of us might like to try," said Alice, "I know Emmet would like to."

"Not me," said Nessie, "I'm know when not to eat more than I can handle."

"Don't let him hear you," said Pence as the ship turned sharply again to avoid the whale again.

Just then a warning light for the engine began beeping, "the primary EPS manifolds is overheating!" said Will, "if it blows we'll be dead in the water, so to speak."

"I thought you got a new EPS manifold for the engine when we were fixing the ship up!" said Hayner to Pence.

"The guy said it was new!" said Pence.

"Did this guy happen to sell it out of a junkyard?" Olette asked.

"No," said an offended Pence, "it was out of the back of a truck."

At that Hayner, Olette, Will, Kirjava, Nessie, Edward, Jasper and Alice all sighed with annoyance.

Just then the was the sound of a mild but definite bang coming from the engine room, then the warning light went solid and a different klaxon sounded as the ship began losing speed, then stopped all together, "we just lost the manifold!" shouted Will.

"Please tell me we have a spare," said Hayner in a pleading manner.

"I did get another one," said Pence, "the guy gave me a 'buy one, get one half price' deal."

"Remind me to never let you do the shopping ever again," said Hayner with his head in his hand.

Just then the whale rushed the ship again.

"This is it!" Olette shouted with despair, "we're doomed!"

"No we're not!" said Nessie, "we're going to get out of this somehow!"

"We're definitely going to survive," said a grinning Alice, "trust me!"

"Let's just hope that we're not all disgusted by the experience," said Edward.

"What?" Hayner asked with confusion.

It was then that the whale opened its maw and swallowed _The Voyaging Light _whole.

But aside from being shaken up a bit, the ship wasn't damaged, and none of the crew were harmed.

"We're all okay," said a surprised Pence, "we're okay."

"Yeah, but we're not out of danger," said Will.

Hayner pressed a button that turned on all of the ships' exterior lights and the view screen revealed that they were in a huge chamber, the creature's mouth. Behind them was the whale's huge teeth, while before them was like a lake filled with the wrecks of several wooden ships.

"We're inside a giant, space whale," said Olette in a horrified tone, "we're actually inside the mouth of a giant space whale."

"But how are we going to get out?" Hayner asked.

"We could wait for it to open it's mouth again," said Pence.

"That could be a long time," said Jasper, "whales can stay underwater for over an hour, but with this creature, who apparently can survive in the vacuum of space, who knows when he'll open his big mouth again?"

"Even if he does open his mouth again soon," said Will, "we're not going anywhere, the EPS manifold is still busted."

"Hang on, I'll fix it," said Pence, "I just need to dig the replacement part out of the storage room."

He left the bridge and headed for the storage room, with Hayner and Olette following him. They found Pence rummaging through the storage room, which more resembled a disorganized junk pile, "now where is it?" he asked as he looked through all the spare parts, "I was sure that we had a spare EPS manifold here."

"I can't believe we left home without getting organized," said Hayner.

"We were in a bit of a hurry," said Olette, "but that doesn't help us in this situation."

"Wait!' said Pence as he held up one particular spare part, "found it!"

"Great, but does it work?" Hayner asked.

"Of course," said Pence. They all went to the engine room, where Vivi, Will and Nessie were already there, having removed the damaged part from the engine.

"It's not really broken," said Nessie as she looked at the EPS manifold, "it just overheated so much that a circuit blew. But I think that I can fix it."

"Can you actually fix a broken microcircuit?" Will asked.

"I think so," said Nessie, "my father owns a lot of advanced, really fast, really flashy cars and he works on them a lot, and Jacob also likes to work on motors, and I've helped fix them sometimes."

"But can you fix a microcircuit?" Will asked.

"I just need time to do it," said Nessie.

"But we've got it covered," said Pence as he held up the spare EPS manifold.

"Wait a second," said Will as he looked at the spare part, then at the original part, then back to the spare, "they're not the same."

"What?" Pence asked, "of course it's the same part."

"No it's not," said Will, "the connectors are different."

"And the two parts do look different," said Nessie.

"They are different," said Jasper as he walked in, "and I do believe that they're from different manufactures."

"They're definitely different," said Edward, "and I do believe that the electrical requirements are vastly different as well."

"You didn't check to see if the two parts were compatible?" Hayner asked Pence "this has got to be the dumbest thing you've ever done, Pence!"

"Oh yeah?" Pence asked, "well, you've done some pretty stupid things yourself!"

"Oh really?" Hayner asked in a daring tone, "name one. I dare you to name one thing I've done that's more dumb than this."

"Remember the time you wound up two-timing the Delancy sisters?" Pence asked.

"I never…" said Hayner, but then he faulted, his expression becoming rather sheepish, "oh, yeah, I remember. Yeah, that was really dumb of me."

"This one time," said Olette to Nessie and Will, "Hayner asked Eddith Delancy out on a date, they were going to the movies and then ice cream, but the day before he promised her twin sister Enid that they'd go to the arcade and then out to pizza, with both dates at the same time."

"That must have been humiliating," said Nessie, "did he get caught?"

"Yeah, I did," said a slightly miserable sounding Hayner, "but not before I had to run back and forth between the movies and ice cream parlor, and the arcade and pizzeria, and it was in the middle of summer. I nearly got heat stroke that day."

"But you learned a valuable lesson," said Pence as he placed a friendly arm across Hayner's shoulder, "always make sure you keep an organized schedule when it comes to girls."

"This still doesn't fix the engine," said Kirjava, "without a working part, we really are doomed. We'll be stuck inside the mouth of a giant space whale forever!"

"Don't write us all off just yet," said Nessie, "at least give me a chance to save our sorry behinds" She looked at Edward, "I don't need to read your mind to know that you're about to ask me if I know what I'm doing. Truth is, I'm not so sure, but not trying would only make things worse."

"I'm not accusing you of incompetence," said Edward "but rather, I was about to ask if you needed help."

"That's more like it," said a smiling Nessie, "yes, papa, I would be most appreciative if you could help." With that the two of them, father and daughter, sat down and went to work repairing the part.

"They'll be finished in about an hour or so," said Alice, "so we've got that long to explore the belly of the beast."

"What are you talking about?" Olette asked, "you mean, we're going to go outside of the ship and…"

"And see what's out there," said Pence, "I don't know if I should be grossed out, excited or terrified."

"All three would be appropriate," said Jasper.

"How do we even know if it's save to open the hatch and step outside?" Will asked, "the atmosphere could be toxic."

"Or there may not be an atmosphere at all," said Kirjava.

"Oh that's just perfect," said Olette in a frantic manner, "we're stuck inside a whale mouth where we could either suffocate or asphyxiate."

"It's the same thing," said Jasper.

"Either way we're dead!" exclaimed Olette.

"Uh, hello?" Alice said "I'm already dead here, so it's okay if I step outside. In fact, I am going outside and nothing bad is going to happen to me, but I'll do it anyway just to make you feel better."

A minute later Alice had entered the airlock, closed the inner door, equalized the pressure with the outside environment, opened the outer door and exited the ship. She walked out to the front of the ship and waved to the camera that transmitted to the view screen, "there's clean are out here," she said eagerly.

"I guess it is okay," said Hayner.

"Ok," said Pence, "but who's gonna go out first?"

"I'll do it," said Will, "fortune favors the bold." with that he and Kirjava went to the airlock and walked outside. They both stood next to Alice and Will gave the camera the thumbs up.

"Let's just get it over with," said Pence to Olette.

"It's best to confront a phobia rather than let it control you," said Jasper, "especially claustrophobia."

"I'm not claustrophobic," said Olette, "it's the fact that we've been swallowed by a giant wale, I mean…being eaten alive would freak anyone out, right?"

"You forget that some of us aren't exactly alive," said Jasper, "but I understand your point. Just breathe and take one step at a time. And if there's any sign of any of us in danger, you know who will tell us."

Olette looked at the view screen and saw Alice waving at them eagerly. If there's one thing Olette had come to trust about the vampires, it was Alice's visions. With that she, Will, Kirjava, Pence and Jasper stepped out of the airlock. The all took a moment to look around their surroundings.

"We don't seem to be in any danger right now," said Will as he looked around the water filled, shipwreck strewn, biological cavern that was the mouth of the whale, "aside from being sucked further into the digestive track of the creature."

"Well," said Hayner, "whatever happens, we're gonna be here until Nessie and Edward fix that EPS manifold."

"There are a lot of shipwrecks out there," said Pence, "and maybe some treasure to go with them."

"It couldn't hurt to look," said Hayner, he then looked at Pence, "you go first."

"What?" Pence asked, "why me?"

"Because it's your fault that we're stuck inside the belly of a monster," said Olette, "now you go first."

"Uh," said Pence as he looked across the water to the nearest shipwreck, "that's got to be at least twenty feet away."

"So?" Will asked, "if you can't jump the distance, then swim."

"But there could be things in the water," said Pence in a slightly uncomfortable manner, "I'm not afraid of the water, but what's in it that I can't see."

"Oh for crying out loud," said Will, "Kirjava and I'll go first."

"We'll show you laymen how it's done," said Kirjava. The two of them did a ki-powered jump that easily landed them on a section of the shipwreck above the water, "noting to it!"

"If they can do it, so can we," said Hayner. With that he jumped across to the shipwreck, but nearly lost his balance on landing and almost fell into the water. Will caught Hayner's hand and pulled him to safety, "thanks, man."

"Any time," said Will. Just then Olette jumped across, followed by Pence, who also nearly fell into the water but his friends caught him before he fell into the water.

"This had better be worth it," said Pence, while Alice and Jasper effortlessly jumped across, both landing at the top of the wreck.

"It should be," said Hayner.

"Unless someone else has been here before," said Olette as she held up an empty box. She then pointed out two more that were at different parts of the wreck.

"It looks like whoever was here," said Jasper as he examined one of the empty boxes, "was here not too long ago. About a year and a half or so, I reckon."

Alice had by then jumped to the next shipwreck, "there's more empty boxes here too!" she called out.

"I'll bet that the other wrecks are empty too," said Pence. He then slammed his fist onto the side of the shipwreck in frustration, causing a full treasure box to fall at his feet, "well, how's that for irony."

He opened it to reveal several status boosting items, such as rings and amulets, all together worth several thousand munny, "you think this covers my mistake?"

"Mostly," teased Olette as she admired one particular ring that boosted defense against Blizzard and Darkness, "but not quite."

By then Jasper had jumped to the third and last wreck in the whale's mouth, "there's just one box here as well," he said as he jumbled back over. He opened it to reveal more status boosting items, as well as several precious crystals and synthesis items.

"Ok," said Olette as she admired one of the crystals, "now I forgive you, Pence."

"What's that over there?" Hayner asked as he pointed towards the back of the mouth, "it looks like another boat."

"It is another vessel," said Jasper, "and it looks nearly intact."

They all jumped over to the back of the mouth, which much like dry land, where a nearly intact ocean going sloop lay beached. Next to it was an open doorway leading deeper into the creature, above which was a platform and another open doorway.

"Two different passages," said Jasper, "each with the potential for danger."

"Up or down?" Olette asked.

Alice then sniffed first the bottom tunnel, then jumped to the top one and sniffed that as well. "Both are full of Heartless," she said as she jumped down, "the bottom one has more chambers in the passage, while the top has stronger Heartless."

"We might as well go through the path of least resistance," said Jasper.

"Bottom path it is," said Hayner. With that they all went through the bottom doorway.

They emerged inside a room that was chaotically colored and seemed to be pulsating, as if with the heartbeat of the whale.

"I keep forgetting that this whole place is alive," said Pence as they saw two doorways leading out of the chamber, one straight ahead, the other on a ledge to the left.

Just then several Neo Shadows and Search Ghosts appeared.

"Just our luck!" shouted Pence as he bashed one Neo Shadow, then smashed a Search Ghost, "to have to fight Heartless while inside a whale!"

"Just how weird is this journey of ours gonna get?" Olette asked as she blasted a Search Ghost with a fireball, then zapped another with a Thunder spell.

"How should I know?" Alice asked as she tore apart one Neo Shadow after another, "this sort of thing is totally random, and my visions only show the future based on decisions."

Just then they had finished slaying the last of the area's Heartless, "so," said Jasper, "which shall it be? Straight or to the left?

"I say go with the flow," said Will.

"Second," said Pence. With that they went straight, and wound up in a chamber that had tall ledges on the left and right, with a doorway at the far end of the room.

Once again Heartless popped in and they had to fight them, but they managed to destroy the Neo Shadows and Search Ghosts without any trouble.

"There's treasure here!" shouted Pence as he picked up a box that opened up to reveal several hundred Munny.

Olette then climbed to the top of one of the ledges and found another box, "Lots of treasure!" she said as she opened the box, revealing more precious gems.

They then took the doorway to the next chamber, which started out at the top of a ledge that dropped to the floor, then rose to another ledge, then dropped to the floor again. After fighting more Heartless, this time accompanied by two Large Bodies, they found more treasure chests, then moved onto the next area.

"Just how big is this place?" Hayner asked as they entered the next room, which was divided into a long floor that divided the room into two ledges. The far ledge had several wooden barrels.

"Big enough to fill the inside of the whale," said Jasper.

"I wonder what's in those?" Olette asked as she pointed to the barrels, "do they have treasure?"

"Or are they a trap?" Will asked.

"Only one way to find out," said Kirjava. She then saw a small stone that was sitting nearby. She picked it up in her teeth and threw it across the room. The rock hit one of the barrels and instantly four crab legs burst out of it and the thing began scurrying around the ledge.

"I guess that answers that question," said Pence.

Just then all the barrels, the Barrel Spiders, sprouted legs and scurried about as well.

"I think you made them mad," said Hayner.

"Sorry," said Kirjava.

The Barrel Spiders then all jumped across the ledges to Hayner and the others. But Jasper intercepted them in midair before they landed and destroyed them all. The group was then showered by Munny.

"How sweet is this?" Olette asked eagerly, "this is turning out to be a good day after all."

"So you're happy about being swallowed by a whale?" Hayner asked as they all jumped across the ledges to the door on the other side of the room and walked through.

"No," said Olette as they emerged into the middle of the next room, a long chamber with a multi-tiered floor that had two doorways, one at the bottom, the other at the top, "but it's worth it."

The room had several more Barrel Spiders and other types of Heartless, but once again they had no trouble dealing with them.

They then took the bottom doorway, which lead to a large circular chamber, that apparently held nothing, no treasure chests, no Heartless, no nothing.

"This is kinda anticlimactic," said Pence.

Just then Alice tensed from a sudden vision, "look out!" she shouted as she ran to pull Will and Hayner out of the way of two black knives that seemed to have been thrown from nowhere.

"Where did they come from!" a shocked Will asked.

"Is it Roxie again?" Olette asked, "I thought she blew herself up!"

"It was Gideon who made her destroy herself," said Jasper, "and act unforgivable in itself." He then pulled Pence and Olette out of the way of two more black knives, "you can stop hiding!" he shouted, "I heard those coming a mile away!"

"I got him!" said Alice as she seemingly grabbed something in the air, something that turned out to be a humanoid shape that was invisible, or rather, the light bended around it, causing a Predator-like effect. Alice twisted her wrist and there was a snapping sound, which turned out to be the breaking of the things' neck. The cloaking effect faded, revealing a humanoid demon with features like a chameleon.

"It could blend in with it's environment," said Jasper in a fascinated tone, "the perfect assassin."

Alice then grabbed another Chameleon demon out of the air and ripped it in half, "and it seems that they come in multi-packs."

"Wait!" said Hayner, "what about Nessie and Edward!"

"I'm sure they've got themselves covered," said Jasper, "but we should check back with them."

"Right," said Hayner. He then looked around, "um…how do we get out of here?"

"Perfect memory," said Alice as she tapped her head, "follow me, boys,"

"Ahem," said Olette.

"And fellow girlfriend," said Alice. They all followed Alice through the many chambers, out into the mouth, across the shipwrecks and back to _The Voyaging Light_. They got there just as Edward and Nessie exited the ship.

"You ran into chameleon demons," said Edward, "so did we."

"They tried to sneak up on us," said Nessie, "but we heard them, and smelled them, coming from way off."

"Just how many of these things are there?" Pence asked, "we ran into two of them."

"And papa and I killed three," said Nessie.

"I'm more worried about what they want this time," said Hayner.

"I heard their thoughts," said Edward, "Gideon sent them to corrupt the heart of this whale and turn him into a Heartless, whose name happens to be Monstro by the way."

"And such a fitting name it is," said Pence, "but why do they want to turn a giant space whale into a Heartless? Isn't he mean enough as it is?"

"I don't know about the whale's disposition," said Edward, "I actually can hear his thoughts, more or less, but I have to concentrate a lot in order to hear them, but I haven't been able to make sense of them. But I digress. The demons, they're just the first stage in Gideon's plan. They're just here to turn Monstro into a Heartless, then bring him to Gideon, who'll fuse the creature with machine parts that will, once assembled, transform Monstro into a Heartless warship, which Gideon would use as his command ship for future conquests."

"Yet another reason for me to hate Gideon," said Nessie, "He has no right to do that to a living creature, even a jerk such as Monstro, and he is a jerk for eating us, but that's still no excuse!"

"What do we do to stop this?" Hayner asked, "we just can't let the enemy get away with destroying the heart of an innocent creature, even if the creature is a jerk."

"We have to get to Monstro's heart," said Edward, "his actual beating heart. That's where the demons are corrupting his spiritual heart," he indicated the upper doorway at the far end of the mouth chamber, "we have to take the high road."

"I figured we'd get to that sooner or later," said Will.

"Hang on a second," said Pence. He then looked at Nessie and Edward, "what about the EPS manifold? Is it fixed?"

"We did a rushed job finishing it," said Edward, "it stands to reason that since the demons are here, we may need to leave in a hurry."

"It's only a quick fix," said Nessie, "just a temporary patch, one that won't last for long, but considering what we had to work with, I'd say my father and I did a pretty good job. Vivi's putting the part in as we speak and we'll be able to leave as soon as it's fully installed."

"How long of a quick fix are we talking about?" Hayner asked.

"I would estimate that it will last a half dozen hyperspace jumps," said Edward, "I suggest that as soon as we are finished with the current business, the ship should be taken to a proper repair station."

"It'll be on our to-do list," said Hayner, "now let's go stop those demons,."

"My thoughts exactly," said Will.

They all made their way across the shipwrecks to the far side of the mouth cavern and climbed to the upper doorway and went in. They found themselves in large, circular chamber that rose up over a hundred feet into the air. The walls were adorn with multiple platforms that spiraled up to the top of the chamber.

Just then the room was filled with dozens of Air Soldiers, but within seconds Edward had destroyed them all, "I want this fiasco over with as soon as possible," he said after ripping the last Air Soldier apart.

"Where do we go now?" Pence asked.

"To the top of course," said Nessie as she jumped to the top platform and pointed to a doorway. She waited for the others to catch up, then they all went into the next chamber.

It was a large, round chamber with several low platforms. "What is this?" Pence asked, "are we at the heart?"

"More like the stomach, I reckon," said Jasper.

"This is about the worst place we could be in," said Olette, "remember what I said about being eaten? Well, this is where I don't want to be."

"How do we get to the heart from the stomach?" Will asked, "there's no direct route, not biologically that is."

"But the demons have a way," said Edward, "they made an artificial passage from the stomach to the heart," he walked to the far side of the room, "I heard it in their minds," he then touched the wall and pressed a hidden switch that revealed a secret doorway.

"That's where we need to go," said Nessie. They all went into the doorway and found themselves inside a huge chamber that echoed with the thrumming of the beating of the creature's pulse.

"This is Monstro's real heart," said Hayner.

"And connected to it is its spiritual heart," said Jasper.

Just then several chameleon demons appeared out of nowhere, followed by a larger demon that resembled a squid, rather, it had the head of an squid and had tentacles above it's lamprey-like mouth should be. It was dressed in black leather robes.

"So," hissed the squid demon, "the beast Monstro has devoured another group of foolish travelers."

"We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time," said Hayner as he, Pence, Olette, Will and Nessie readied their weapons, while Kirjava stood ready with her teeth and claws, and Edward, Alice and Jasper stood ready to do their share of ripping and tearing as well.

"Or rather, the right place at the right time," said Jasper, "for we just happened to come along while you dogs of Gideon viciously plotted to corrupt the heart of an innocent space whale."

"This creature we are inside of," said the squid demon, "is far from innocent. Throughout the years Monstro has traveled oceans of may worlds, attacking any ship that stood in his way. And when he learned how to travel between worlds, he began attacking star ships without provocation. His heart is already in the darkness. We are merely helping it along towards its natural evolution towards being that of a Heartless."

"You think falling into the darkness is natural?" Nessie asked, "that becoming a Heartless is part of evolution?"

"Of course," the squid demon said, "humans have such a vicious tendency towards hate, rage, sorrow, fear, jealousy, lust, greed and dark emotions that it's only natural for their hearts to become so heavy in darkness that they become Heartless. The same applies to all intelligent creatures with hearts. What Mr. Graves wishes with Monstro is only to help him progress with his natural evolution."

"You're depraved!" snapped Olette, "believing that darkness is the path of evolution, like it's inevitable, that it's fate, it's just sick!"

"Humans and all creatures with hearts have light as well as darkness in them," said Pence. "Hope, joy, courage, peace and a lot of other stuff that's just plain good."

"Pathetic ideologies," said the octopus demon.

"Don't try to argue with this thing," said Edward, "nothing we say will change the mind of this mind flayer."

"A what?" Olette asked.

"A mind flayer," said Will, "of course, I should have recognized it."

"Mind Flayers," said Nessie, "also known as Illithids. They're experts at psychic powers, especially telepathy and mental control."

"And they're also fond of dining on the brains of other life forms," said Jasper.

"What?" a shocked Pence asked.

"They eat people's brains," said Nessie, "if that thing grabs you with it's tentacles, it'll suck your brain out and eat it."

"But I like my brain," said a nervous Pence.

"I'm sure you do," said the demon, or rather the Illithid, "and so do I. I'm going to enjoy devouring it, as will I enjoy devouring all of your brains!"

"No way man!" shouted Hayner, "the only one who's losing their brain is when I cut your head off!"

"Foolish mortals!" said the Illithid.

"Watch out!" shouted Alice, but she was too late to stop the creature from emitting a massive psychic attack, a Mind Blast, that Hayner, Pence and Olette were defenseless against. Their minds were turned upside down as all coherent thought stopped momentarily. They all collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Will and Nessie fared little better. Their powers protected their minds somewhat, but the massive psychic pressure was like getting hit by a stun gun. They fell to the ground, still conscious but unable to move.

But Edward, Alice and Jasper were unaffected by the mind blast. The Illithid looked at them curiously, "So, you three are undead."

"And proud of it," said Alice as she, Jasper and Edward stood defensively in front of Hayner, Nessie and the others.

"Your mind tricks won't work on us!" said Jasper.

"I think not," said the Illithid, "you see, where as this one," it pointed at Edward, "he can hear every thought in my impressive mind, just like I can hear every thought in his head, and your heads as well."

"He's a mind reader as well?" Will asked as he and Nessie struggled to stand up.

"And superior to boot," said the Illitihd. It then rose into the air, levitating with telekinesis, "and now I'm going to destroy you all!" It then sent a massive telekinetic blast at the three vampires.

Alice foresaw the attack and Edward heard the attack coming, so they dodged it, but Jasper was one microsecond too slow and got caught in the blast and was knocked to the ground.

"You'll pay for that!" shouted Alice as she angrily leapt at the mind flayer, but she suddenly found herself surrounded by the chameleon demons.

"She will be occupied for a while now," said the Illithid to Edward, "so now it's just you and me, pretty boy."

"I can hardly wait to silence your sick thoughts," said Edward, "your mind is like a toxic spill, it is so filthy."

"And yours is full of nonsense of outdated mannerisms and morals," said the mind flayer, "you fight against your own nature, against your instincts to kill and feed. You struggle to be normal, yet how many times in your immortal life have you fallen pray to your instincts and slain humans for their blood?"

"Far too many," said Edward, "but I only killed those who deserved to die; criminals and other lowlifes who were scourges on the goodness of humanity. I killed for the greater good, and I only took their blood when I couldn't help it any more. And before you even start talking about how much I wanted to kill Bella, you should also know that I never hurt her, not intentionally that is. Sure, we had our ups and downs, but we emerged past them and now have eternity to look forward to."

"It's a shame that you won't see your wife again," said the mind flayer, "as soon as I eat your brain, and the brains of your vampire siblings, your daughter and her friends, I'll seek out your wife and eat her brain as well."

"No!" shouted Nessie as she stood up, "you leave my mama's brain alone! I'll rip your filthy head off and shove it up your ass!"

"How can you do that if you don't have a brain?" the Illithid asked. It then sent another mind blast out, but Nessie and Edward dodged it, only to run into more chameleon demons and a summoned hoard of Neo Shadows.

"That's it! Fight!" shouted the mind flayer as Edward and Nessie fought against the demons and Heartless, "fight," it then glided down to where Hayner, Pence and Olette were still on the ground un able to move, "fight, while I dine on the brains of your companions."

"You keep away from them!" shouted Nessie as she struggled to fight her way to her friends, but there were too many demons and Heartless in her way.

"You cannot stop me!" said the Illithid as it bent down next to Hayner and extended it's tentacles, exposing mouth like a lamprey's that eagerly waited to suck out Hayner's brain.

But then there came the sound of two wolves howling that echoed throughout the many chambers that was the inside of Monstro. The howling momentarily stunned everyone in the chamber; good and bad alike.

Nessie grabbed the advantage by rushing over to Hayner and shoving the mind flayer away from him. It stopped in midair and hovered, just as the wolves howled again.

"I know that," said a smiling Nessie, "I know those wolves!" she then howled in a manner that startlingly mimicked that of a wolf as well.

Just then a large wolf with sandy-colored fur rushed into the room and stopped next to Nessie.

"Seth!" said Nessie as she flung her arms around the wolf, who happily licked her face.

"It is Seth," said Edward, "but how…" he stopped as he read the mind of the wolf, "yes, of course. You and Leah were also there that night when Gideon attacked, when his curse separated all of us."

By then not only had Hayner, Pence and Olette began to recover their senses, Jasper was also back on his feet and Alice had finished slaying most of the demons and Heartless in the room.

"Who is this?" Pence asked.

"Seth Clearwater," said Alice, "part of Jacob's pack."

"So he's a shape shifter, like Jacob," said Olette.

"Apparently," said Kirjava, "but…if I can understand his accent, he can't phase back into human form."

"You can talk to him?" a shocked Nessie asked. She then looked at Seth, "And you can't change back? What happened?"

"He doesn't know," said Edward, "and neither does Leah. Where is Leah?…Oh, she's taking the long way around."

"Who's Leah?" Pence asked.

"Seth's older sister," said Nessie, "and also a shape shifter."

"A she wolf," said Will.

"And not happy about it," said Edward, "but she accepted it in the end. It's a long story and I am sure she'd like to unburden herself upon new ears."

"How interesting," said the mind flayer as it cautiously eyed Seth, then looked at Edward, "you can hear this abomination's thoughts, where as I cannot."

"So you can't hear his mind," said Edward as he glared back at the Illithid, "yes, interesting."

"Kinda like how my visions don't work when werewolves are concerned," said Alice, "I can't see anything based on or around a decision a shape shifter makes."

"Again, interesting," said the mind flayer, "this conundrum will have to be seriously pondered, once I devour this creature's brain!"

At that Seth growled angrily at the levitating monster, as if saying 'you and what army?'

"You can't fight him, Seth," said Edward, "sure, he can't read your mind, but as long as he sees you he can block your every move with telekinesis."

"None of you fools can defeat me!" said the mind flayer, "I am superior to you all!"

But then from the top of the chamber came a female wolf, a bit smaller than Seth with light-gray fur, jumped down onto the back of the Illithid and bit off one of it's arms. The mind flayer was so shocked by the attack and the sudden agony of having its limb removed that it didn't even notice Seth leaping onto it, then realized that Seth had taken its other arm, while the she wolf leaped to attack again Between the two wolves they quickly rendered the monster into so many bloody bits and pieces.

"Well," said a shocked Pence as Seth and the she wolf, Leah Clearwater, backed away from the remains of the mind flayer, "that's one way to kill a villain."

Just then there was a low rumbling that resounded through the heart chamber. The rumbling sounded more like a voice, the voice of Monstro.

Edward then looked up towards the top of the chamber in concentration, as if hearing something, "I do believe that I can understand the mind of our host now."

"You can hear Monstro's thoughts?" Will asked.

"Well what's he saying?" Pence asked.

"He's thanking us for destroying the Illithid and for saving his heart," said Edward, "and…he's also telling us to get the hell out of his body."

"What?" Hayner asked.

"We just saved him from a fate worse than death," said Will, "the least he could be is grateful."

"He is grateful," said Edward, "but he also wants, most of all, to be left alone. He's had enough of people running into him and just wants to go about his way. And now he wants us 'parasites' out of his body, before he forces us into his stomach and we're digested."

"Leaving would be a good idea right about now," said Olette, "I so don't want to be digested."

"Then let's get going before we are digested," said Will.

"And we've got company with us," said Nessie. She then looked at Seth and Leah, "we don't know where Jacob is exactly, but he's safe and with friends. Hopefully, unless something else happens to stop us, which is highly unlikely if I have anything to say about it, we're going to meet up with him soon, so you guys are flying with us."

At that Seth happily wagged his tail, while Leah looked like she was saying 'whatever.'

"Welcome to the group," said Hayner as Nessie formerly introduced Seth and Leah to him, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava.

A short time later everyone was back in the mouth chamber and had reached _The Voyaging Light_, just as Vivi exited the ship, "I just finished installing the manifold," he said, "we're good to go any time you guys are ready."

"We're ready," said Hayner, "fire up the engine, before we're digested."

"How do we know that Monstro is going to let us go?" Pence asked, "for all we know he could just decide to eat us for the heck of it."

"He won't," said Edward, "all he wants is to go about his way. As soon as we're all aboard the ship he's going to spit us out."

"Then let's not impose on his hospitality any further," said Jasper.

"Wait," said Kirjava, "what's that?" she then pointed at Monstro's teeth with her paw.

"Those are the teeth of a giant space whale," said Hayner in a matter of fact tone.

"She's pointing at something stuck in them," said Alice, "something…something gold!"

Kirjava and Will ran over to the gumline of the giant teeth. The others soon caught up with them, just in time to see Kirjava grab a small gold object with her teeth, an object stuck between two of Monstro's molars. She pulled at the object and slowly but surely it came out. The object turned out to be another gold key.

Just then there came another low rumbling as Monstro talked in his own manner, but this time the rumble sounded pleased, or rather, relieved.

"He says thank you again," said Edward, "only this time for removing an old and irritating pain. That key has been stuck between his teeth for decades, and he hasn't been able to get it out."

"Well of course he couldn't get it out," said Pence, "he's a whale, and whales can't brush their teeth." he then looked at Kirjava, "I hope you'll brush yours after that, no telling what kind of germs are on that thing."

"Daemons aren't susceptible to germs," said Kirjava, "but if it'll make you feel better I'll brush my teeth."

"She's very capable," said Will.

Olette had run inside the ship and just now returned with a can of disinfectant spray and sterilized the gold key. She then pulled out some string from her pocket and threaded it through the key, "you should wear it, Kirjava, you got it out of the teeth it after all."

"I'm not one for ornaments," said Kirjava, "but why not? We're almost done with the things anyway, so yeah, I'll wear it." Will then tied the string around her neck.

"This is all nice and all," said Pence, "but can we please get out of here before the whale changes his mind about eating us?"

"We have worn out our welcome," said Edward, "so let's go."

They all boarded the ship and settled in on the bridge.

"Here's hoping," said Hayner, "Vivi, start the engine."

"Powering up!" said Vivi as he hit the start button. Within seconds the engine came to life and all the ship's systems came online, "we're good to go!"

Just then the ship lurched as Monstro spit them out.

"Full power to thrusters!" said Vivi. He drove the ship through a hard right turn away from Monstro as the space whale went the other direction.

"There goes one unique character," said Jasper as they all watched Monstro go his own way on the forward view screen.

"Let's hope he finds what he's looking for," said Edward, "peace and quiet, away from Heartless and Villains."

"Let's hope that this whole insane adventure frees us all from evil," said Nessie as she held up her key, while Hayner, Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava, held up theirs.

"There's only one place left to go," said Hayner, "Vivi, change course; we're going to Traverse Town to finish this."

"Course laid in," said Vivi, "we're on our way!" with that the ship leapt into hyperspace.

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"Are you absolutely sure of this?" The Negotiator asked the lesser demon who just handed him an intelligence report.

"The information has been triple confirmed," said the lesser demon, "The Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis is on Traverse Town."

"Then Mr. Graves has to be informed at once," said The Negotiator. He then dialed Gideon's phone, "Mr. Graves, we know where the talisman is; it's on Traverse Town."

"Well, it's about time," said Gideon, "you see what you can accomplish with a little persistence? And as if that wasn't good enough news, I've finally found the Katayanagi twins; I've got them locked up in my ship. I'll unleash them when we get to Traverse Town. You tell Maleficent that the next time I see her I'll have the talisman safely in my possession."

**The end of chapter 6.**

Next chapter all our heroes finally meet up on Traverse Town, only to realize that their quest is far from over. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!"


	7. Chapter 7: Back to Traverse Town

Last time we focused on Team Hayer as they found themselves attacked and swallowed by Monstro. While Nessie and Edward worked on fixing a critical engine part, Hayner and the others explored the inner chambers of the giant space whale, slaying Heartless and collecting treasure along the way. After an encounter with demons, we learned that Gideon planned to corrupt Monstro's heart and turn the giant whale into a dark battleship.

After a vicious battle, our heroes foiled the plan of the demons and pulled their sixth gold key from between the teeth of Monstro. The whale was grateful for all the help our heroes hag given him, then politely asked them to get out. With the ship repaired, they headed out to rendezvous with Team Sora. 'Nuff said, on with the show!"

**Chapter 7: Back to Traverse Town**

"Good luck with everything, Sora," said Simba as he walked onto the transporter pad, "I'll tell everyone that you said hi."

"See you around, Simba," said Sora. With that Sidney activated the transporter and Simba was beamed down to The Pride Lands.

"Okay, that's that," said Aiden, "can we please get going and finish this whole mess? The sooner we get that talisman, the sooner I'll feel better."

"We're not there yet," said Riku, "it's still a long way to Traverse Town."

"I'm still not completely sure about this whole mess," said Tess as they walked back to the bridge, "This L guy messed with our dreams."

"As far as I could tell he was telling the truth about the keys," said Kairi, "those keys were scattered across the realms for a reason, and keys unlock things after all."

"Well for the record," said Aiden, "if that talisman isn't there when we open the vault, I'm going to be very disappointed."

"Same with me," said Jacob as he joined them on their way to the bridge, "We've been through far too much just to have it all come to nothing." They all then reached the bridge, where Lyra and Pan were taking a turn at the helm.

"It shouldn't," said Lyra, "the Alethiometer says that the vault is secured and that the talisman is safe."

"Any idea where the last key is?" Sora asked.

"Not really," said Lyra, "it's not out in the open, so we're going to have to search for it."

"Typical," sighed Aiden.

"But you've got us this time," said Emmet as he, Rosalie and Bella walked onto the bridge, "We'll sniff out that key for you in no time."

"You can do that?" Kairi asked, "smell a gold key?"

"Everything has a distinct scent," said Rosalie, "especially metals like gold."

"But these keys aren't like ordinary gold," said Bella, "they're different, and that makes them easier for us to sniff out."

"Why didn't you do that back at the castle?" Sora asked, "you could have saved us a lot of trouble; we wouldn't have had to search the castle room by room until King Mickey remembered where he put the key."

"And saved me a lot of aggravation with the Alethiometer," said Lyra, "we have to destroy those Uridium items soon, their interference with the Alethiometer is getting worse."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Bella, "and as for why I didn't help, you guys didn't ask for it."

"Well now we're asking for it," said Kairi, "the sooner we have that talisman, the sooner we can defeat Gideon and Maleficent once and for all."

"Then there's no time to waste," said Riku as he got into his seat, "Setting course for Traverse Town. Entering hyperspace…now!" With that the ship lurched into hyperspace.

"It's almost over," said Sora, "we're almost done."

"And hopefully soon Merlin and Master Yen Sid will have figured out how to shield all the worlds in the realms of light," said Kairi, "we'll all be safe at last from the darkness."

"We're not forgetting that we'll finally be face to face, in the flesh that is," said Aiden, "with the girl who's been haunting our dreams."

"That's my daughter you're talking about," said Bella, "and you should talk, you've been haunting her dreams as well."

"Blame L for messing with everyone's dreams," said Jacob, "and he'd better be telling the truth about the talisman being able to destroy Gideon. Otherwise, I'm going to rip him apart myself."

"Merlin and Yen Sid did say that the only way to cure Quill and Embry is to destroy Gideon," said Bella, "they're my friends too, Jacob, so I have a stake in this as well. I owe that maniac for so many things, most of all for taking my daughter away from me."

* * *

><p>"That talisman had better be in that vault when we get there," said Nessie as <em>The Voyaging Light<em> cruised through hyperspace. "I owe Gideon so much pain."

"I'm afraid you'll have to get in line, little one," said Jasper, "all of us have a bone to pick with that maniac."

"There's only so many ways to make a human suffer before he dies," said Alice, "so many ways to break and twist, but there's a limit to how much pain a human can take before he finally gives up the ghost."

"All I ask is that you three wait just long enough," said Edward, "So I can hear what plans are running in Gideon's vile head. Then we can render him."

"You guys are seriously messed up," said Pence, "Cool, but still messed up."

"Thanks," said Nessie, "I'm sorry if this disturbs you, our planning revenge, but…"

"But you deserve it," said Will, "considering what Gideon did to you, it's only reasonable that your family receives vindication for the wrong done to you."

"And of course our canine friends," said Edward, indicating the two wolves, Seth and Leah. Edward then looked at Seth and Leah, "yes, you can tear off two of Gideon's limbs."

Seth then growled something, something that Kirjava found rather repulsive, "for crying out loud, man! That's just disgusting!" she then looked at Leah, "if anyone deserves to rip that part off of Gideon, it's you, Leah." At that Leah nodded in agreement.

"Castration?" Olette asked in an uncomfortable tone.

"Double castration actually," said Edward.

"That's a little on the side of overkill," said Hayner.

"A million deaths won't be enough for Gideon," said Nessie in a serious tone, "he made my life a living nightmare. He stalked and kidnapped me, then separated me from the ones I love. If I could I'd make him immortal, all so I could hurt him over and over again until the end of time."

"You really shouldn't think such thoughts," said Olette in a concerned tone, "all that hate and rage in your heart, it'll just lead to more and more darkness."

"What are you talking about?" Nessie asked, "this isn't darkness, it's indignation, righteous fury. And this is so more than revenge. This is justice."

"Justice is more acceptable," said Hayner.

"Definitely," said Will.

"But what about us?" Pence asked, "We're in this too, right?"

"Definitely," said Hayner, "we're going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Nessie has her justice."

"You guys are the best," said Nessie, "and I mean it. I'm so glad that I fell out of the sky and landed in front of you. You've helped me find my way through the worlds, and reunited me with half my family."

"Any time," said Olette, "and we're almost at where you'll be reunited with the rest of your family."

"And the others," said Hayner, "I wonder how Sora and his group are doing? And I also hope that they do have all the keys they were supposed to get."

"They're most likely thinking the same of us," said Will. He then looked at the forward view screen, which showed the stars streaking pass in hyperspace. He had a distant look on his face, as if thinking of something important to him.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you," said Kirjava, "about Lyra."

"Sometimes it's not convent for one's own daemon to be able to read their human so well," said Will, "but yes, I am thinking of Lyra, and I hope she's thinking of me."

"You can't think like that," said Kirjava, "the two of you are from different universes. You know that any time that the two of you spend together will only be cut short."

"I know that," said Will, "no matter where we go, one of us is going to end up dieing after only a few years, maybe the both of us."

"You two love each other so much," said Edward, "but you can't be with each other for long. One can't remain away from the world they were born on before their bodies begin to wear down and eventually die."

"But what are you going to do when we all meet up in Traverse Town?" Olette asked.

"I don't know," said Will, "I…I don't know."

* * *

><p>"I don't know what I'm going to do when I see Will," said Lyra, "I…we went through so much together, and we had so much love for each other but so little time together. But we promised each other than we would live out our lives and find happiness, and we did. But now we're being thrown together again. It's as if fate, destiny, just won't let things be with us."<p>

"I'm sure things are gonna work out for you somehow," said Kairi, "but worry about that when the time comes."

"One crisis at a time," said Riku, "for now, just focus on finding the key and getting the talisman from the vault."

"And then we go kill Gideon and Maleficent," said Aiden, "sounds like a plan to me."

"Well save a piece of Gideon for me," said Tess, "I want to hurt him."

"So do I," said Aiden.

"Hold it," said Emmet, "if anyone's gonna get first crack at Gideon, it's us vampires."

"And shape shifters," said Jacob, "he's done more to make us miserable than for you guys."

"But he want's to turn Kairi evil," said Sora.

"We could all argue about who has the right to punish Gideon until all the humans die of old age," said Bella.

"That would settle the argument in a way," said Rosalie.

"Maybe," said Bella, "but for the present, there's only so many pieces of Gideon to go around. I say we let the one who's suffered the most get first crack at him."

"You mean Nessie," said Jacob.

"I mean the both of you," said Bella, "he's hurt you and Nessie the most by separating you, and from what you told me about Imprinting, when a wolf and the one he imprints on are separated, it's like a knife to the heart for the both of you, only worse. So if anyone has the right to make Gideon pay, it's the two of you."

"That sounds fair to me," said Riku.

"No arguments here," said Tess.

"None from us either," said Sora, while Kairi and Aiden shook their heads.

Just then Sidney appeared, "we're five minutes from Traverse Town," she said.

"Five more minutes," said Bella in an anxious tone.

"Yeah," said Jacob in an equally anxious tone, "Five more minutes."

* * *

><p>"We're almost there," said Nessie, "another five minutes. Then we'll all be together again."<p>

"Actually, it'll be a bit longer than five minutes," said Pence, "we're gonna exit hyperspace in five minutes, but then we need to achieve orbit around the world, then we need to land in the shipyards on the ground, so it's gonna be more like half an hour before we all get to see each other again."

"Why can't we just beam down?" Olette asked, "or better yet, one crew should just beam over to the other ship."

"That kinda would make more sense," said Hayner, "but _The Voyaging Light _has been through a lot and I'd like to get her looked at. And I'd like to have a real, fully functional EPS manifold installed."

"I keep saying that it's not my fault," said Pence, "the guy seemed totally legitimist to me."

"Always ask for credentials when shopping outside a store," said Jasper, "especially when the deal seems too good to be true."

"And even if he does have credentials," said Alice, "always think twice, because the deal may just be too good to be true."

"We'll make sure that the ship get's the best overhaul she can get," said Hayner.

* * *

><p>"Why can't we just beam over to their ship when we meet up in orbit?" Aiden asked.<p>

"I'm picking up minor fluctuations in the transporter controls," said Sidney, "nothing too serious, but I'd rather not risk one of you materializing inside out, or worse, merging with someone else."

"It'd be like The Fly all over again," said Emmet, "and I'm talking about the Vincent Price version."

"Oh, that was a good movie," said Sora, "the remake was just awful."

"A lot of movie remakes are awful," said Rosalie, "and I've lived long enough to see the originals when they were first shown in theaters."

"Why mess with what's already good?" Emmet asked, "the only reason they keep remaking classic movies that were done right the first time is to make money."

"Couldn't agree more," said Riku. Just then the navigation consul beeped, "we're almost there. Exiting hyperspace…now!"

The ship jumped back into Normal space and headed into orbit around Traverse Town.

"I'm picking up another ship on the scanners," said Sidney, "and I do believe it's _The Voyaging Light_. I'm establishing communications with them now…yes, we have a com link, but audio only."

"Right," said Sora as a microphone appeared on the arm of his chair, "this is _The Intrepid Heart_, calling _The Voyaging Light_, are you receiving me, over?"

"Is that you, Sora?" came Hanyer's voice over the com link. "Something's wrong with our video link, we're only getting audio."

"I suppose this is my fault as well," said Pence, "you guys are gonna blame me for breaking the vid screens."

"No," said Olette, "we just have a short in the system, easily fixed, but we've got a few other problems that need taking care of."

"I'm sure that together we can fix each others ships," said Kairi.

"We'll land our ships next to each other," said Riku, "then we can swap stories."

"One thing though," said Will, "how many keys have you found?"

"Six," said Lyra. Her voice was calm and her expression neutral, but Sora and the others could tell that on the inside, Lyra was halfway to going crazy over being so near yet so far away to will, "how many keys did you find?"

"Also six," said Will, who was feeling the same way. "All we need to do now is find the last one and then find the vault."

"We'll both land and start looking for it," said Riku.

"See you down on the ground," said Hayner, "over and out." With that the communication link ended.

"Better get down there before something happens," said Tess, "something bad."

"What kind of bad thing could happen?" Sora asked, "we're almost done with this."

"I know," said Tess in a worried tone, "I…I feel that something terrible is about to happen. It's like how I felt when just before we met The Daleks."

"Oh, then it is serious," said Riku.

"We'll keep our eyes open for trouble," said Kairi, "but now let's focus on landing."

"Right," said Aiden, "one crisis at a time," he then rubbed his wrists, "alright! Let's do this!"

The two ships landed entered the atmosphere of the world and landed at the shipyard, right next to the first district.

…Traverse Town…

Almost as soon as Sora and the others had stepped off of the ship, they heard the shouting of a young girl with love in her heart, "JACOB!" and before Sora could blink, Jacob was tackled by Nessie. The two of them embraced happily and before everyone present, Nessie kissed Jacob full on the lips, and he kissed back with equal passion.

"I beg your pardon?" Bella asked in a tone that was heavy with motherly protectiveness, "Aren't you forgetting something, young lady?"

"How could I forget," said Nessie. She then tacked Bella, but Bella remained standing. The two of them embraced happily, "I missed you so much, mama. And I've got so much to show you. But wait until Papa and the others show up. And they should be here right about…now."

Nessie jumped out of the way just as Edward ran up to Bella. The two vampires, husband and wife, embraced and passionately kissed.

"Don't you ever leave me again, Edward," said Bella after they finished kissing, "I don't think I could stand it being separated from you again."

"Neither would I," said Edward, "it would probably destroy the two of us."

"We'd probably just be bored being all alone," said Alice as she and Jasper hugged Rosalie and Emmet. Edward then hugged Rosalie and Emmet, while Bella hugged Alice and Jasper.

Meanwhile the four shape shifters trapped in wolf form, Quill, Embry, Seth and Leah, all leaped and frolicked around each other, getting reacquainted.

"The two groups are telling each other what they've been through," said Edward, "Quill and Embry are shocked that Seth and Leah can't phase back to human, and vice versa."

"You can all rest easy," said Jacob. He then phased into wolf form, without taking off his clothes, then he looked at his pack, speaking to them telepathically.

"He's telling his pack that the only way to cure them is to kill Gideon," said Edward, "and they couldn't agree more."

"So we're all together," said Kairi. She then saw that Will and Lyra were trying to not look at each other, while Kirjava and Pan were also doing their best to avoid each other. But Kairi could tell that the two humans and two daemons desperately wanted to pick things up where they left off long ago.

"I think we need to get cracking already," said Tess, "call me crazy, but I feel that we're running out of time."

"Trust her," said Riku to Hayner and his group, "we really could be in danger."

"Then let's get going," said Hayner, "so, any idea where to find the key?"

"What does the Alethiometer say about that, Lyra?" Riku asked.

Lyra took out her golden compass and asked the question. After about a minute she looked up, "I'm not getting a clear answer."

"It's still being confounded?" Will asked.

"We have to make sure that all of the Uridium is destroyed," said Lyra, "otherwise it's only a matter of time before I can't make any sense of the Alethiometer."

"It's on the to-do list," said Aiden.

"There is one thing that I can understand about the answer," said Lyra, "the number 2 keeps coming up."

"2," said Sora, "hey, that could be the Second District."

"It's worth looking into," said Edward.

"Lead on, Sora," said Jasper.

"Right," said Sora. He lead everyone through the large doors at the front of the First District. He then lead everyone across the large square with the restaurant on the left side, up the steps and past the two shops that used to be the item store and Cid's workshop, up the next flight of steps where, on the right was where Gepetto's workshop was, then behind Cid's shop and around the corner to the doors that lead to the Second District.

"Okay then," said Sora as they all entered the area, "What now?"

Just then the area was suddenly filled with Heartless, mostly Shadows, Soldiers, air Soldiers and Large Bodies. But there were also Dark Balls, Wyverns and Invisibles.

"We take care of these things, of course!" said Riku as he, Sora, Kairi, Aiden, Lyra, Will, Nessie, Hayner, Pence and Olette, all pulled out their weapons and readied themselves for battle.

But instead, Bella stepped forward and ripped a Large Body in half with her hands, "I'm getting sick of these things," she said as she then shattered an Invisible with just one hand.

"Sora," said Edward as he, the other vampires, as well as Jacob and his pack, proceeded to destroy the masses of Heartless, "we will take care of these abominations."

"You guys focus on finding the key!" shouted Alice, "I know you're going to find it!"

"Any hint on where it is, Aunt Alice?" Nessie asked.

"I'd try looking at that bell tower," said Alice, "but that's just my opinion."

"The bell tower!" said Sora, "of course! Let's go!" with that he took off across the walkway, running past the hotel, slashing at the odd Shadow that tried to get in his way.

"Hold on, Sora!" said Riku as he and the other humans, and half vampire and two daemons, chassed after him, with Jacob and his pack providing flanking support against the masses of Heartless.

Sora reached the far side of the area and entered the Gizmo Shop, only to find that the area was choked with Dark balls.

But then Riku and Tess ran into the room, followed by Hayner and Olette. They began swatting the Dark Balls out of the air, "get going!" said Hayner, "we've got this covered!"

"Save some for us!" said Will as he and Lyra, along with, Quill, Embry, Pan and Kirjava, began attacking the Dark Balls as well.

"Right!" said Sora. He, Kairi, Aiden, Pence, Nessie, along with Jacob, Seth and Leah, ran to the far side of the room and exited it. They walked outside and went up the semi-crooked ladder to the roof of the building, where the ropes to ring the bells were. Next to the alcove where the ropes were several wooden crates. Directly across the ropes were three short pillars, each with a picture of a bell on it.

"it's got to be around here somewhere," said Sora as he looked around the rooftop.

"Is it in one of the crates?" Aiden asked as he looked at the wooden boxes, "or maybe it'd in the bells themselves."

"Wait," said Nessie as she sniffed the air, "I smell gold, and not regular gold."

"You can smell golf?" Kairi asked.

"Everything has a scent," said Nessie, "especially metal, and doubly especially otherworldly metal that the keys are made of." she walked over to the three small pillars, "it's in one of these," she then sniffed the one of the right, "It's here!" she then broke the pillar open and revealed the thirteenth gold key.

"Awesome!" said Sora.

But then Nessie sniffed the air again, "wait…there's another key here," she broke open the middle pillar and revealed another gold key. She then broke open the last pillar, revealing a third key.

"They're identical," said Aiden as he looked at the keys, "and all of the ones we've found are all a little different from each other."

"No, they're not different at all," said Nessie as she closely examined them, "like they were all made from the exact same cast."

"Ryuzaki sure didn't warn us about this," said a frustrated Pence.

"But what does it mean?" Kairi asked, "why are there three keys here when all the other keys were by themselves?"

"I don't know," said Sora.

Just then Riku climbed up the ladder, "the area's free of Heartless," he said. He then saw the three keys and his face changed to that of someone disgusted with the situation, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

Tess, Hayner and Olette climbed onto the roof, "Are you freaking kidding me?" Tess snapped.

"I'm just as pissed off as you guys are," said Aiden, "all that work and traveling, just to find out that you've been lied to."

"I think we need to just calm down," said Kairi.

"Calm down?" Aiden asked, "calm down? I don't feel like calming down at all!"

"Well calm down anyway," said Kairi, "we found the key, I mean, keys, so now let's find the vault."

They met up with Lyra, Will, the vampires and the wolves on the street below. "Why are there three keys instead of one?" Will asked.

"This I did not see in my vision," said Alice.

"Someone's messing with us, I'm sure of it," said Hayner.

"We'll worry about that later," said Kairi, "let's just find the vault," she looked at Lyra, "any ideas?"

Lyra then consulted the Alethiometer, "now I'm getting a clearer answer. The vault, it's in the third district, right in the middle."

"That would be the square," said Sora, "come on!" he then lead everyone through the alley to the third district. They arrived at the small shop atop the stairs that lead to the big square in the middle of the area. The walked down the stairs and out into the square.

"Shouldn't there be Heartless in this area?" Tess asked. The district was oddly free of enemies, and the lack of battle noise was eerie.

"I guess so," said Sora in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

"I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth," said Hayner, "now where's this vault?"

As if in answer, a large circle of light, appeared in the middle of the square, encompassing over half of the area of the square. Sora and the others backed away from the circle of light as the area of the ground highlighted by the light began to rise up, stopping after about fifteen feet.

"I think the vault has found us," said Aiden.

"It must have reacted to the keys," said Jasper, "it's the only explanation I can conceive."

"Makes sense to me," said Alice.

Sora walked around the cylinder, eventually stopping at one spot that had thirteen keyholes, "this is it," he said as he took out his gold key, "this is where the keys go."

"Gee," said Jacob after phasing back to human, "is it really that obvious?"

"Don't make this more aggravating that it already is," said Olette as she, Pence, Hayner, Nessie took out their keys, while Will held up his key and Kirjava's. At the same time Kairi, Riku, Aiden, Tess and Lyra took out their keys.

"Is there any order in which they go in?" Sora asked as he looked at the keyholes on the vault. They were arranged in the formation of a clock face, with twelve forming a circle around a thirteenth in the middle.

"The middle one must be for the last one," said Kairi as Nessie held up the three new keys, "but as for the first twelve?"

"Let me look at them," said Edward. He examined each key, "yes, the differences in each represent numbers," he looked at Kairi, "put yours at the 12 o'clock position." Kairi did so, inserting her key at the top hole.

"Hayner, yours goes at the 1 o'clock hole. Pence, yours is at 2 o'clock. Aiden, yours is at 3 o'clock. Will, yours is at 4 o'clock. Tess, yours is at 5 o'clock. Riku's is at 6 o'clock. Olette is at 7 o'clock. Sora is at 8 o'clock. Hayner is at 9 o'clock. Kirjava is at 10 o'clock, and Nessie is at 11 o'clock."

One by one they inserted their keys into the lock, eventually filling the twelve in the circle.

"Now to find out which of these is the real one," said Nessie, indicating the three new keys.

"Look!" said Tess as she pointed at a spot above the lock. Strange script had appeared in gold letters. The language was unlike anything the mortals could understand, but one of the vampires did.

"It's Venusian," said Alice as she looked at the writing, "don't ask me how I know, I just do."

"Aunt Alice has no memory of her human life before she became a vampire," said Nessie to Sora and the other mortals. "She just woke up after the change as an immortal, with everything before that a total blank."

"If you can understand it," said Edward, "then it must be for a reason. I cannot fathom that reason just yet, but one shouldn't waste a golden opportunity when one sees it."

"I wouldn't call it a golden opportunity just yet," said Alice, "the writing is a warning against unsealing the vault, mainly about the powerful item inside and how dangerous it is in the wrong hands. It says that if we've come this far and have found all the keys then we should know which of the new keys is the right one to unseal the talisman. But if we don't know and use the wrong key, then the vault will be completely sealed, forever."

"So we've got a one in three chance of getting it right," said Sora.

"Typical," said Aiden.

"The Alethiometer isn't telling me anything about which key is the right one," said Lyra.

"And I'm not seeing which one is right either," said Alice.

"So we'll have to guess," said Jacob.

"But what if we guess wrong?" Olette asked, "then we'll lose the talisman forever."

"That's way too much pressure for me," said Aiden, "so don't ask me to choose which one."

"I don't want that responsibility either," said Pence. At that Riku, Kairi, Tess, Hayner and Olette looked down in mild shame as they admitted to themselves that they didn't want to take the chance.

"I'll do it," said Will, "I'll take the chance."

"No, I'll do it," said Lyra, "I won't let you risk everything, Will."

"And why should you take the risk, Lyra?" Will asked.

"Oh for crying out loud," said Nessie, "I'm the one holding the keys, I'll do it. I'll chose."

"No, let me do it," said Sora.

"But I want to do it," said Nessie.

"So do I," said Sora.

"They're going to argue about it for a while," said Alice, "and it'll end in a stalemate. So I'll end it right here and now," she looked at Sora and Nessie, "I'm thinking of a number between 1 and 100. What is it?"

"55," said Nessie.

"17," said Sora.

"It's 20," said Alice, "Sora's closest."

"Dang it!" snapped Nessie. She then sighed with reluctance, "alright," she handed the keys to Sora, "it's up to you now."

"Right," said Sora. He then looked at all three keys, then looked at them one at a time, "I honestly don't know what makes them different, so I'm just gonna trust my feelings. I'm gonna listen to what my heart says and go with it."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Jasper asked, "relying on instinct may not be the best course in this situation."

"You think you can figure out which key is the real one?" Riku asked.

"I'll bet he can't," said Aiden.

"How much you wanna bet?" Tess asked.

"No one's betting anything," said Kairi, "Sora's making this choice." she looked at Sora in a trusting manner, "go on, I believe in you."

"Thanks," said Sora. He then closed his eyes in concentration for a few seconds, then held up one of the keys, "it's this one."

"Why that one?" Nessie asked, "it's the same as the others."

"It just feels right," said Sora.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Sora?" Alice asked, "I don't know if it's dark magic that's stopping me from seeing the outcome of your decision or something else, so there's no second chances with this. If you chose wrong, then it's game over for real."

"I know," said Sora, "believe me, guys, I know what I'm doing," he held up the key he chose, "this is the right one."

"We trust you, man," said Aiden, "go for it." At that Kairi, Riku and everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Alright," said Sora, "here we go." He walked up to the vault and placed the key he chose in the thirteenth keyhole.

"Here goes everything," said Sora. He then turned the key one quarter to the right. The twelve other keys, starting with the one at 1 o'clock and working their way all the way up to 12 o'clock, turned one by one to the right. Once all the keys were turned, a doorway formed in the outer wall of the vault.

"Looks like your heart was right," said Bella.

"I guess so," said Sora, "now let's go get that talisman!"

But then Edward tensed, as if sensing something terrible, "He's here! Gideon! I can hear his thoughts!"

"Gideon's here!" Nessie exclaimed as she angrily drew her sword, while everyone else got their weapons ready and looked around anxiously.

Just then Gideon appeared from around the stairs on the left side of the fountain, "here I man, ladies and gentlemen," he said in a clam, cheerful tone as he walked towards Sora and the others.

"You're Gideon?" Sora asked in a disbelieving tone. It seemed hard for him to accept that such an ordinary looking person was capable of such evil that he and his friends had to fight against.

"You were expecting something else?" Gideon asked, "something in the manner of wildly colored skin or maybe something in the way of multiple arms, legs and eyes."

"Well," said Sora, "since you've sent a lot of demons at us, I figured you'd be more like a demon yourself."

"Trust me," said a very irate Nessie, "he's Gideon."

"How lovely to see you again, Renesmee," said Gideon.

"You have no right to call her that," said Edward in a calm but still angry tone.

"And it's nice to see you as well, Edward," said Gideon. He then looked at Bella, "and your lovely wife," he looked at Alice, Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie, "and your fantastic siblings as well," then at Jacob and his pack, "and your pet puppies."

The four wolves growled irately, while Jacob glared at Gideon, "keep talking, you pompous bastard, it'll only make killing you that much more satisfying."

"Yeah, whatever, mutt," said Gideon in a dismissive manner. He then looked at Will and Lyra, "you two, I'm not sure we've met yet."

"We haven't," said Will, "I was sent to stop you and your evil.

"Same with me," said Lyra, "me and Will, we volunteered to come here to make sure your wickedness is finished once and for all."

At that Gideon laughed cruelly, "as if you kids could stop me; me! I who have discovered the secret to immortality!"

"What do you mean?" Aiden asked.

"He means he can clone himself," said Edward, "just like he's cloned his minions, the League of Evil Exes. As we speak their new bodies are maturing and should be ready in a manner of days."

"You got that right," sad Gideon, "oh, and before we go any further," he then pulled out a black ring with an even blacker stone on it and put it on his finger, "there, now my head is safe from prying ears."

"He's right," said a slightly concerned Edward, "I can't hear his thoughts any more."

"Bingo!" said Gideon, "now, moving on," he then looked at Hayner, Pence and Olette, "you new brats have been only a minor thorn in my side recently, but you'll get yours when the time is right," he then looked at Riku and Tess, "and you guys as well," he looked at Aiden, "you, I'm not going to hurt you, not as long as Maleficent needs your brain intact."

"You'll find that my brain isn't for sale, you scum-sucking puss bag," said Aiden.

Gideon ignored the insult and looked at Sora, "the young hero who's caused so much trouble for everyone. I expected more."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora asked.

"Well, for starters," said Gideon, "I thought you'd be taller."

"I am tall!" said Sora.

"In your eyes maybe," said Gideon. He then fixed his eyes on Kairi in a possessive manner, "and Kairi, at long last. I've waited a long time to meet you."

"Whatever you're thinking about doing to me," said a very irate Kairi, "you can forget about it. I'm not going to be your mind slave!"

"You won't have a choice when I'm done with you," said Gideon. He then pulled out a green microchip, "once this goes on the back of your neck, you'll do whatever I tell you to do, even kill your boyfriend there."

"I'll never hurt Sora!" shouted Kairi, "I love him, and he loves me. The day we hurt each other is the day Hades turns on the air conditioning in the Underworld!"

At that Sora laughed loudly, "that's a good one, Kairi."

"Thanks," said Kairi.

"Well now," said Gideon, "it seems I'm going to have to destroy this little romance you two have."

"Over my undead body," said Bella as she and her family, as well as Jacob and his back, along with Hayner and his group and everyone else, stood defensively in front of Sora and Kairi.

"If you want to hurt Sora and Kairi," said Jacob, "you're going to have to go through us first."

"I was hoping you'd say that," said Gideon.

"Watch out!' shouted Alice, just as hundreds of humanoid robots, about 5ft tall, steel gray and armed with razor-tipped claws and laser cannons, teleported into the area and attacked Sora and the others.

"Where'd these things come from!" exclaimed Tess as she blocked a laser blast and parried a claw slash from one robot, then avoided another laser blast.

"I don't think we've ever fought robots before," said Riku.

"They're not like Heartless," said Aiden as he blocked a claw slash, then blocked a laser blast.

"These things are the work of the last two of the Evil Exes!" said Nessie as she dueled several of the robots, but her sword seemed to have no effect on them, "The Katayanagi twins. They're expert roboticists, preferring to let their toys wear down their opponents first before moving in for the kill!" frustrated that her sword wasn't working, she quickly sheathed it and began ripping them apart with her bare hands.

"They're tough!" said Jasper as he and the vampires easily avoided the robot attacks and effortlessly dismembered the metal monsters, "but they still die."

Jacob, who had phased back into wolf form, was with his pack also tearing the robots apart.

Eventually Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aiden, Tess, Will, Hayner, Pence and Olette found that attacking the head from behind was an effective means of destroying the robots. But for every robot destroyed, more and more teleported into the area.

"There's got to be an end to them!" said Hayner as he decapitated one robot after another, only to find more waiting to fight him.

"We have to find the twins!" said Nessie, "they're the ones controlling the robots! Take out the twins and you take out the robots!"

"Well if you know where they are, do point them out for me," said Tess as she dodged a laser blast, then destroyed several robots in a spinning attack.

But then Sora saw Gideon walking towards the vault, with the robots ignoring him as he made his way through the battlefield.

"He's going for the talisman!" Sora shouted, "We have to stop him!"

"But there's too many robots between us and Gideon!" said Pence as he bashed one robot, then another.

"Just hang on for a second," said Emmet, "I'll clear a path for one of you!"

"Lead on!" said Riku after slicing off the head of a robot.

Emmet then rushed through the area, destroying robots so fast that they seemed to fall apart in a blink of an eye. But by then Gideon was almost to the vault.

"No you don't!" shouted Riku. He ran headlong for the vault, projecting his Dark Shield before him that acted like a snowplow against the robots that tried to get to him. He and Gideon reached the vault door at the same time.

"You Keyblade brats are really getting on my nerves!" said Gideon as he drew a vicious blade from his cane, "I'm going to eviscerate you all, except for Aiden and Kairi."

"You'll find that my friends and I are hard to kill!" said Riku as he held up his Keyblade in an offensive stance, while Gideon held his sword in a different offensive stance. They began dueling, with each of them attacking and blocking with equal strength.

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…<strong>

"It seems that Gideon has finally decided to take matters into his own hands," said Maleficent as she, Xorat and The Negotiator watched the fight on Traverse Town via an enchanted projection from the floor in the throne room.

"It would appear so, great one," said The Negotiator, "no doubt that the mechanoids created by the twins will keep the brats occupied while Mr. Graves recovers the talisman."

"Assuming that Riku doesn't finish him off first," said Xorat, "send me now, mistress of all evil, send me and I will end this here and now!"

"Not just yet, dear Xorat," said Maleficent, "this is Gideon's final chance. We should let him have his chance, before we destroy him for failing for the last time."

"Mr. Graves isn't finished yet!" said The Negotiator, "he'll get the tailsman and the brats, just watch and see."

* * *

><p>At this time the hordes of robots seemed to have stop coming, so Sora and the others had a moment to relax. But then he, Kairi and everyone else saw that Riku was dueling Gideon.<p>

"We need to help him!" said Sora.

"I doubt he's appreciate our interfering with his battle," said Edward.

"I never said you couldn't help me!" shouted Riku as he struggled to block Gideon's vicious attacks.

"No you don't!" shouted Gideon. He then unleashed multiple energy blasts from his sword at Sora and the others, forcing them back, "I prefer to keep my battles on a 1 vs. 1 basis, thank you very much."

"You really are a jerk, you know that," said Riku as he kept defending himself from Gideon's attacks.

"And you're a pathetic excuse for a hero, you know that," said Gideon, "admit it, you can't beat me!"

"I'll admit that you're more skilled when it comes to fighting," said Riku as he grinned eagerly

"Then why are you smiling?" Gideon asked.

"Become I know something you don't know," said Riku.

"Let me guess," said Gideon, "you're left handed."

"No," said Riku.

"Then what's the secret?" Gideon asked,

"While we've been busy fighting," said Riku, "my dear friend Tess has been sneaking past us invisible! She's in the vault right now!"

"What!" exclaimed Gideon as he jumped away from Riku.

But then came the sound of Tess shouting in a very angry manner, "Mother Puss Bucket!"

She emerged from the vault, an enraged look on her face, "there's nothing in there!"

"I beg your freaking pardon!" snapped Aiden.

"The vault, it's empty!" said Tess.

"I don't believe it," said Riku. With that he ran into the vault.

"This can't be happening," said Sora.

"It was all for thing," said Hayner.

"I knew it!" snapped Aiden, "I knew that L was a liar!"

"Wait," said Riku as he ran out of the vault, "there's this." He held up a single envelope with a letter in it.

"It's addressed to you," said Riku as he handed the letter to Gideon.

Gideon opened the letter and read it aloud…

_Dear Gideon,_

_We've taken the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis before you could get your evil hands on it. It was so awesome opening a subspace corridor inside the vault._

_Anyway, we'll be seeing you soon just as soon as we finish one or two errands._

_Oh, if someone else finds this, someone who needs the talisman in order to defeat evil, we'll give it back soon, promise._

_XOXOXO,_

_Scott and Ramona_

"Well," said an irate Gideon, "don't that just beat all!"

"I thought your gold compass thing said that the vault was secure and that the talisman was safe!" Aiden snapped at Lyra.

"It is safe," said Lyra, "and the vault is secure. No one has opened that vault door in a long time."

"But how did the talisman get out?" Pence asked.

"Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers," said Nessie as she crossed her arms, "Ramona particularly. Her dossier said that she can create subspace corridors with her mind."

"As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate those two!" snapped Gideon as he tore the letter to pieces, "they're so going back on the top of my death list!"

"Not if we kill you first!" snapped Nessie, "and it looks like your minions are all out of robots."

"If you think that robots are all that the Katayanagi twins are all about," said Gideon, "then you're dead wrong."

"You're the one who's about to die," said Pence as he and everyone else closed in on Gideon.

"Oh really," said Gideon, "well, I know something you guys don't know either."

"And what would that be?" Sora asked.

Gideon held up his black ring, "this isn't the only mind-blocking item I have. I gave two of them to the twins, and they've been using the past few minutes to get their equipment set up."

"What?" Sora asked.

"Behind us!" shouted Alice. Sora and the others turned around to see two Japanese men, both in their mid-twenties, and they were clearly twins, the only difference being that one had black hair and wore a white shirt, while the other had white hair and a black shirt. They had set up an elaborate sound system that had about twenty huge amplifiers, all connected to a huge synthesizer.

"Blow out their eardrums, boys!" said Gideon as he quickly donned a seat of earphones that blocked out sound.

The twins then began playing an incredibly loud score on their oversized keyboard, each note strong enough to shatter glass, and the force of the air compression form the music completely bowled over Sora and the other humans.

"It's horrible!" shouted Sora as he, Riku, Kairi, Tess, Aiden, Will, Lyra, their daemons, Hayner, Pence and Olette, fell to the ground in agony. They all had their hands over their ears, but the sound still shot through their heads, upsetting their sense of balance and overall making them feel miserable all over.

"My brain is melting!" shouted Aiden.

"My eyeballs are bleeding!" shouted Tess. This wasn't true, but she sure felt like it.

On the other hand, Nessie, her immortal family, along with Jacob and his back, were only annoyed by the loud music.

"If this is your idea of torture, Gideon!" shouted Bella, "then you'll have to do better than that to hurt us!"

"Oh, I can do better!" said Gideon, "and so can the twins!" he then signaled Kyle and Ken. One of them activated a switch on the syntheses, adding a new track to the mix, one with a much higher pitch.

The new anti-music didn't hurt Nessie and the vampires, but it did affect Jacob and his back. The five wolves suddenly collapsed to the ground, writhing about and howling in agony as the high-pitch noise scrambled their senses and inflamed their nerves.

"Jacob!" shouted Nessie. She then glared at the twins, "you bastards are so dead!" But before she could rush the oversized keyboard and rip them apart, the twins added another track to the mix, this one on a different wavelength that affected Nessie.

She screamed in agony and collapsed to the ground.

"Renesmee!" shouted both Bella and Edward.

"It burns!" Nessie screamed as she held her hands over her ears, "the noise! It's like I'm on fire all over, inside and out!"

"You go too far, Gideon!" shouted Jasper.

"I'm just getting started!" shouted Gideon.

The twins then changed the music again, adding a new track of a much lower frequency, one in the ultra-low range. The massive base pounding sent out shockwaves that could shatter concrete.

The force of the sound waves knocked Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Emmet and Rosalie to the ground. They were shocked to discover that bits of their immortal bodies were beginning to crumble and fall off.

"You evil monster!" shouted Rosalie as cracks began to appear across the vampire's faces, "you sick, twisted bastard!"

"I aim to please!" said a viciously smiling Gideon. He walked over to Sora and the other humans, grabbed Kairi and Aiden, and dragged them off to the side. The two of them were still unable to move from the horrible music and were helpless as Gideon propped them against a wall.

"You two are going to watch this," said Gideon to Aiden and Kairi, "you've got front row seats to the final defeat of all of your friends. Then we're going to take a nice trip over to Maleficent. She's been looking forward to having you over at New Hollow Bastion for such a long time."

Kairi and Aiden could only glare contemptuously at Gideon. But then Gideon positioned their heads so they had no choice but to watch their friends suffer.

"It looks as if Mr. Graves is going to be victorious after all," said The Negotiator.

"I'm not impressed," said Xorat, "using music as an execution method, I can do so much better."

"In time you will," said Maleficent, "but for now let us enjoy the moment," she focused the image on Sora and Riku, "I have been waiting quite a while to see the demise of these two. The others are of little importance, but I want to see Sora and Riku die with my own eyes."

"Wait a second," sad Xorat, "aren't there supposed to be two more brats with them? That duck wizard and that dog guardsman."

"That's right," said a concerned Negotiator, "where are those two?"

"Time for the grand finale," said Gideon.

The twins then began playing more loudly than before, the massive sound waves generating a huge energy mass out of the speakers that condensed into an huge, energy creature that became a twin-headed dragon.

"Finish them, boys!" said Gideon, "eat them alive!"

The twins directed the two-headed energy dragon to attack Sora and the others. But then something happened, something that was Donald.

"Take this!" shouted Donald as he zapped the synthesizer with a Thunder spell. The sudden influx of energy overloaded the sound system, causing the twin-headed energy dragon to vanish. All the speakers exploded and the twins were electrocuted.

At the same time Goofy threw his shield at the synthesizer. The impact of his shield triggered a seemingly impossible chain reaction that created a small black hole that sucked the twins in. They were gone in a heartbeat, along with the keyboard and the speakers. The black hole then collapsed in on itself and popped out of existence, leaving behind a shower of munny.

Without the horrible music, Sora and the other mortals, human, hybrid and shape shifter, quickly regained their senses and all got up, while Edward and the other vampires also got up, their immortal flesh healing in the blink of an eye.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it," said The Negotiator in a distraught tone, "the twins have been defeated, again."<p>

"I can," said Xorat. He looked at Maleficent, "now may I go, oh great one?"

"Yes, you may," said Maleficent, "go to Traverse Town, Xorat, and bring me the two brats needed."

"I obey, oh great and terrible Maleficent," said Xorat.

"Wait!" said The Negotiator in a pleading manner, "Mr. Graves is still there. He has yet to unleash his full power. If you would only give him the chance, he will…"

"Gideon has had every chance to deliver on his promises," said Maleficent, "and he has failed on every opportunity presented to him. I will not tolerate any more failure," she looked at Xorat, "go now, and if Gideon interferes in any way, destroy him."

"You cannot destroy Mr. Graves!" said The Negotiator, "his power is too great for a simple Nobody to defeat."

"I am no mere Nobody," said Xorat.

"But you just can't kill Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator, "only he knows the rituals needed to break through to limbo and free Lord Kira."

"That is his only redeeming quality," said Maleficent, "he is still useful, and therefore will only be destroyed if he proves to be too uncooperative," she looked at Xorat, "that is your order. Bring me Kairi and Aiden and return Gideon, but kill him if he refuses to be reasonable."

"I obey," said Xorat. With that he summoned a dark corridor and walked through it.

"I beg of you, great Maleficent," said The Negotiator, "show Mr. Graves some leeway."

"You speak as if you are begging for mercy," said Maleficent, "but no. I have had enough of failure. The time for success is now, and let this be the end of the argument," she glared at The Negotiator as her staff crackled with purple lightning, "unless you wish to be replaced by another clone."

"I have absolutely no desire to be replaced, oh mistress of all evil," said The Negotiator.

"Then stop bickering and enjoy the show," said Maleficent, "for this will surely be one to remember."

* * *

><p>"Oh no," said a shocked Alice, "big trouble's coming, seriously big trouble!"<p>

"How big?" Sora asked.

"Worse than anything you've seen before," said Edward.

Just then a Dark Corridor opened up and Xorat stepped out.

"What the…?" Aiden asked, "isn't that Pantyhose Taro?"

"I do not answer to that name anymore," said Xorat.

"He was Pantyhose Taro," said Edward, "one of the most dangerous enemies of Ranma Saotome. But he lost his heart to the darkness."

"That's right," said Tess, "We killed his Heartless just now!"

"And now we have to fight his Nobody," said Riku.

"Correct," said Xorat in a grim tone, "I am Xorat, the destroyer, and I shall be the one to finish you, Keyblade Brats!"

**The end of chapter 7.**

Next chapter finds our heroes fighting their worst battle yet against their most powerful foe to date. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	8. Chapter 8: Dark Warrior

Last time found both Team Sora and Team Hayner linking up on Traverse Town. They searched the 2nd District for the final gold key, only to find three identical keys. They then found the vault in the 3rd District and after a a puzzling moment, chose the right key that would unseal the vault and reveal the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis. But that's when Gideon showed up, with the Katayanagi Twins providing dark support. after an earsplitting battle, the twins were sucked into a black hole, leaving Gideon to face our heroes. That's when Tess discovered that the vault was empty. Aparently, the Talisman was stolen, by Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers no less. Outraged by the turn of events, Maleficent dispatched Xorat to the battle. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 8: Dark Warrior**

**...Traverse Town...**

"Oh no," said a shocked Alice, "big trouble's coming, seriously big trouble!"

"How big?" Sora asked.

"Worse than anything you've seen before," said Edward.

Just then a Dark Corridor opened up and Xorat stepped out.

"What the…?" Aiden asked, "isn't that Pantyhose Taro?"

"I do not answer to that name anymore," said Xorat.

"He was Pantyhose Taro," said Edward, "one of the most dangerous enemies of Ranma Saotome. But he lost his heart to the darkness."

"That's right," said Tess, "We destroyed his Heartless back on Disney Castle!"

"And now we have to fight his Nobody," said Riku.

"Correct," said Xorat in a grim tone, "I am Xorat, the destroyer, and I shall be the one to finish you, Keyblade Brats!"

"No!" snapped Gideon, "I will destroy them!" he pointed at Kairi and Aiden, "those two are coming with me, and I'll the others! And you, you abomination, have no say in what is to happen here! I had everything under control."

"I have every right to be here," said Xorat, "ad you clearly do not have the situation under control. I serve the will of Maleficent, and Maleficent wills that the brats," he looked at Sora, Riku, Aiden, Donald, Goofy, Lyra and Pan, Will and Kirjava, Hayner, Pence, Olette, the vampires and the wolves, "all of them, be expunged from existence and the other two," he looked at Kairi and Aiden, "that they be brought to her.

"You, Gideon Graves, have only two purposes now; to trawl the brain of the alchemist for the information needed, and also to corrupt the heart of the princess so she can do what is needed done. After that you will initiate the ritual to summon our so called dark god, Kira."

"How many times to we have to tell you evil idiots!" Sora shouted, "You're not getting Kairi and Aiden!"

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I tell you anything you want to know!" shouted Aiden.

"And I'll die before I do what you want, Gideon!" snapped Kairi.

"It's not as if you have a choice," said Gideon, "you're mine to do with as I please, and I'm going to use you to grab all of the new princesses of heart," he then raised his hands in the air in exultation, "then we will use them to open the gateway to limbo and free Lord Kira, and bring about a new age of darkness!"

"You really are an idiot, Gideon," said Nessie, "you think Kira is darkness?"

"I know he is darkness!" said Gideon, "he told me so."

"How blind you are," said Edward, "you have been deceived. Kira is in fact a man named Light Yagami, a man guilty of too many murders to count, but he killed in the name of justice; his own justice, but justice nonetheless."

"What kind of dark god has a sense of righteous justice?" Bella asked.

At that Gideon laughed cruelly, "oh, that's too much," he then grew serious, "if you think you can convince me to stop my grand master plan of freeing Lord Kira, you've got another thing coming."

"They are mine to deal with, you worm," said Xorat, "and if you stand in the way, then I have Maleficent's blessing to terminate you with extreme prejudice."

"That's ridiculous," said Gideon, "Maleficent can't get rid of me. I'm the only one who knows how to use the new princesses of heart to open the door to limbo. She can't do without me."

"I'm sure that she can figure out how to do without you," said Xorat, "if necessary, she can use that sleaze of a personal assistant of yours, The Negotiator, to figure out how carry your plans to fruition."

"No she can't!" said Gideon, "only I know the full details of the ritual, I an no one else!"

"Well, then I'll be sure to bring back your head intact," said Xorat, "I'm sure that that psychic demon of yours can get the information out of your brain. So unless you wish to have your head trawled as well, stay the hell out of my way."

Xorat then walked forward towards Sora and the others, "now then, let's get this over and done with, so who wishes to die first?"

"The only one who's going to die is you!" shouted Hayner as he rushed at Xorat.

"Don't!" shouted Alice, but she was too late. Xorat rushed at Hayner and in a blink of an eye, delivered several powerful blows that dropped Hayner to the ground.

"You bastard!" snapped Olette as she blasted Xorat with a Thunder spell, followed by several fireballs.

Xorat dodged all of the spells, then rushed behind Olette and delivered a chop that dropped her like a sack of potatoes.

"Don't attack him alone!" shouted Jasper, "he's fast, almost as fast as a vampire."

"Oh, I'm much faster than a vampire," said Xorat, "you've only begun to see what I can do!" he then seemed to vanish, only to reappear behind Jasper. He managed to block his attacks but received enough damage to crack his immortal skin.

Emmet then jumped into the battle and attacked. Xorat was forced onto the defensive as the two vampires engaged him at high speed that the mortals could barely keep up.

But Nessie could, "They're kicking his ass!" she shouted to Sora and the others, "go, Uncle Emmet! Go, Uncle Jasper!"

But then there was a flash of crimson light and both Emmet and Jasper were knocked to the ground, while Xorat stood over them with his hands smoldering slightly with red energy.

"As I said," remarked Xorat, "you have only begun to see what I can do."

"I'm alright," said Jasper as he and Emmet picked themselves up. They weren't visibly damaged but they looked unsure of themselves, as if Xorat's sudden power had an adverse effect on their courage.

"Then why don't we end it before you show off any further," said Jacob. He then phased back into wolf mode and he and his pack circled Xorat.

"Miserable mutts," said Xorat, "you think you can beat me? Just try!" He then began running towards one of the walls of the area. Jacob and the pack followed him, but then Xorat began running up the side of the wall, then on it around the area.

"This guy is too much," said Aiden.

Xorat then jumped down from the wall and attacked the wolves, kicking them away from him one by one, with Jacob being last. Jacob avoided the worst of Xorat's strike, but he was still forced away. He skidded to a halt at the far side of the area, then rushed at Xorat again, joined by the other four wolves.

Xorat responded by jumping high into the air, then dove back down head first, slamming his fist into the ground and creating a shockwave that blasted Jacob and the wolves off of their paws.

"No!" shouted both Nessie and Bella. The two of them rushed at Xorat, but he caught Nessie and slammed her to the ground, then kicked Bella off of her feet. While she was still in the air Xorat punched her in the face, knocking her back several yards. Edward caught her before she hit the ground, then he helped Nessie get up.

"What's with this guy?" Sora asked, "he's not like any other Nobody, and that includes Xemnes and the rest of Organization XIII."

"What are we going to do?" Tess asked, "he's making mincemeat out of the vampires and wolves. We don't stand a chance."

"Which is why you should just lay down and die," said Xorat.

"Never!" shouted Alice as she rushed at Xorat. Her visions allowed her to anticipate every move Xorat made, either blocking or dodging his kicks and punches, but didn't give her many opportunities to strike back.

But then Xorat unleashed a completely random attack that knocked Alice down. He grabbed her by the arms and threw her at Rosalie, who was rushing into the battle to help. Alice collided with Rosalie and the two of them fell to the ground.

"Anyone else wish to contend with me?" Xorat asked.

"How about all of us?" Sora asked as he, Riku, Kairi, Aiden and Tess stood together. They held up their watches and pressed the red buttons on them, activating their armor.

"I'm not impressed," said Xorat as he saw Sora's red armor, Riku's black armor, Tess' green armor, Kairi's blue armor and Aiden's yellow armor

"Trust me," said Aiden, "you will be," he then pressed his wrists, "alright, let's do this!" he and the others then rushed at Xorat with their Keyblades raised. Xorat calmly stood his ground and blocked all of their attacks.

He then kicked Riku hard in the stomach, then delivered an elbow strike to Sora's head, then jumped out of the way of Aiden, who wound up slamming into Tess.

Xorat then tried to grab Kairi, but Riku blocked him with his Dark Shield. Sora then shot a huge Blizzard attack that Xorat completely dodged. Xorat then retaliated by shooting a crimson energy beam at Sora. He barely blocked it with his Keyblade, only to have to roll out of the way of more energy blasts.

Tess then went invisible, but Xorat seemed to sense where she was. He grabbed her and forced her to become visible again, then threw her across the area.

Aiden then transmuted the ground underneath Xorat into spikes, but the vile Nobody jumped out of the way, only to grab one of the spikes and threw it at Aiden. He barely blocked it, only to have to dodge more spikes that Xorat threw. Aiden then transmuted the ground in front of him into a brick wall, blocking the spikes, but then Xorat appeared behind him and delivered a massive kick to his side, knocking him across the area.

* * *

><p><strong>...New Hollow Bastion...<strong>

"Your pet is damaging the target human," said The Negotiator, "if anything happens to Aiden and he cannot recall the faces of the new princesses of Heart, then…"

"He will not be mentally damaged," said Maleficent, "I guarantee that Aiden will be of full use to us upon his arrival. Watch and see."

They saw Xorat walk over to Aiden, who was trying to get back up again. Before Aiden could react, Xorat grabbed his left foot and twisted it hard, breaking the ankle. Aiden screamed in agony as his armor deactivated.

"As you can see, his mind is still intact," said Maleficent, "he can no longer walk or fight, but his mind is still whole."

"I'll admit, your Nobody is effective in this instance," said The Negotiator.

* * *

><p>"I'd stay still if I were you," said Xorat to Aiden, "unless you wish me to break anything else of yours. Maleficent only wants your brain in one piece, so the rest of you is fair game." He then walked away from Aiden, who was still writhing in agony.<p>

"You slimy scumbag!" snapped Aiden as he struggled to sit up, "I'll kill you for this!"

"I think not," said Xorat. He then turned around and before Aiden could blink, he broke three of Aiden's fingers on his left hand, causing him to scream again.

"Now stay down or else," said Xorat. He didn't say anything else after that, for Bella and the other vampires had recovered again. Now that all six immortals were involved, the Nobody found himself hard pressed to defend himself.

"How does it feel to be cornered now?" Rosalie asked as she and her vampire family pushed Xorat to the far side of the area, away from Sora and the other mortals.

"I don't like it!" snapped Xorat. His eyes suddenly glowed crimson and shot energy beams from them at Edward. He dodged the attack, only to have to dodge multiple beams from Xorat's hands and eyes.

By this time Kairi, Tess, Riku and Sora had ran over to Aiden, "are you alright?" Kairi asked.

"I just had my foot and hand broken by that sick freak!" snapped Aiden, "do I look alright!"

"I'm just asking," said Kairi, "now hold still," she touched Aiden's ankle and her healing magic began working, "this won't take a second."

But then Gideon jumped in with his sword out and attacked Kairi, "I can't let you do that," said Gideon as he hacked and slashed at Kairi.

"And I can't let you hurt her!" said Sora as he got in front of Kairi and attacked Gideon, "Kairi, you take care of Aiden. Riku, Tess, back me up!"

"Right!" said both Tess and Riku.

"Don't make me laugh," said Gideon. He then sent out a massive shockwave of dark energy at Sora, Tess and Riku. But then Riku, who had the bag of Pixy Dust, splashed some on Sora, Tess and himself. The three of them thought of the happiest thought they could think of, defeating Gideon, and they rose into the air.

"Oh that's just plain unfair!" said Gideon in a mocking tone as he looked up at the three of them, "how am I ever supposed to fight you while you're way up there? Oh wait, I can fly to!" he then shot into the air, "you think fairies are the only ones who can grant flight? Think again!" he then attacked Sora, who then struck back with a massive Thunder spell. Gideon blocked the spell, only to have to dodge a Dark Aura blast from Riku.

Tess then shot past Gideon, delivering an attack that finally hurt him, but only just. Her attack hit him in the face, cutting him below his right eye.

Gideon placed his fingers to his face and touched the blood and brought it to his tongue, tasting it, "I'll make you pay a thousand fold for that, little girl," he said contemptuously to Tess. He then seemed to vanish, only to appear in front of her and delivered a furious attack that was so fast that Tess could barely block half of the sword strikes. She fell to the ground after receiving too much damage, her armor deactivating upon impact.

"Bastard!" shouted Riku. He rushed in and dueled Gideon in midair. The two of them traded blows, both of them delivering damage, but Gideon was hurting Riku more than Riku was hurting Gideon. Eventually it became too much for Riku and he fell out of the air, his armor deactivating when he hit the ground.

"Now it's just you, kido," said Gideon to Sora, "you've had a good run, I'll admit. Personally I'm impressed that you lasted this long against everything; against Heartless, Nobodies, demons and so many Villains, I am impressed."

"What are you getting at?" Sora asked.

"I'm offering you a chance to walk out of this in one piece," said Gideon, "and the chance to eventually get your girlfriend back."

"What?" Sora asked.

"I won't need Kairi forever," said Gideon, "what, you think I want her to be my new girlfriend? That's a laugh. First of all, she's way too young for my tastes. And she's definitely not my type. All she has to do is grab all of the new princesses of heart and bring them to New Hollow Bastion. After that I'll cut her lose and you two can leave without any further harm from either me or Maleficent."

"But you're going to cover all of existence in darkness," said Sora, "I won't let Kairi be a part of that."

"But that's the thing," said Gideon, "she won't know what's happening to her. My control chip will completely take over her mind and body, giving her a completely new personality and repressing her old personality and her memories as well. When the job is done, I'll take the chip off and the old Kairi will come back without remembering a single act of villainy on her behalf."

"But her heart will remember!" said Sora, "hearts remember things that the mind forgets. She'll know what you'll make her do! She'll remember being evil, and it'll hurt her, it'll hurt her so much, I won't let you do that to her!"

At that Gideon sighed, "okay then, looks like I can't change your mind. I was going to keep you alive, but now the offer has expired. Time to die!"

He rushed at Sora, who barely managed to block his attacks with his Keyblades. But then Sora faked to the left and attacked to the right, startling Gideon a bit. Sora then went under Gideon and got behind him. Gideon blocked Sora's attack, but Sora blasted Gideon with several fireballs, then followed up with a Gravity spell that knocked Gideon out of the air.

Gideon landed on his feet, but then had to block Sora's aerial attacks. "I won't let you hurt Kairi! I won't!"

"You don't have a choice, kido!" snapped Gideon. He then jumped back into the air and unleashed several more pulses of dark energy at Sora. He barely blocked them, but then realized that Gideon had used the distraction to get behind Sora and hit him hard on the head, knocking Sora out of the air. He landed hard on the ground, his armor deactivating upon impact.

But then Aiden, whose ankle and fingers were healed by now thanks to Kairi, got back up and transmuted the air around Gideon into acid, but Gideon jumped out of the way and then blasted Aiden, knocking him down.

"And now for Kairi," said Gideon as he landed in front of her.

"I'm not so easy to take," said Kairi as she raised her Keyblade.

"Face it, babe," said Gideon, "all your protectors are either down or otherwise preoccupied," he indicated Aiden, Riku, Tess and Sora, who were struggling to get back up, while also pointing out the vampires and wolves, who were still fighting with Xorat, with no clear winner in sight.

But then Will, Kirjava, Lyra and Pan ran up and stood defensively between Kairi and Gideon.

"You still have us to go through, you jerk!" shouted Will.

"Don't mind if I do!" said Gideon as he attacked Will and Lyra, but as he stabbed at Lyra, Pan jumped up and scratched his sword arm deeply, causing him to drop it. Lyra then slashed at Gideon, wounding him hard on his left leg.

"You can't beat us, Gideon," said Lyra as she and Will kept attacking, but Gideon was now avoiding all of their strikes.

"You think my swordsmanship is my only skill," said Gideon, "then you've got another thing coming!" he then punched Will hard in the stomach, then kicked him in the chest, knocking him down.

"I so own this battle!" said Gideon as he hit Lyra several times in the head and torso, knocking her down. He then looked at Kairi, "now, if there isn't any other losers for me to chastise…"

Just then Roxas burst out of Sora, "how about me, creep!" he shouted as he brought both Keyblades to bare.

"Fine by me," said Gideon as he picked up his sword, "let's dance."

"Only if I get to lead!" said Roxas as he rushed at Gideon. The two of them furiously dueled, but it was clear that Roxas, having two Keyblades, had a slight advantage over Gideon. He clearly was experienced in fighting multiple opponents, but not so one who wielded two weapons.

"Not bad, kiddo," said Gideon, "but as so many people who've thought they could beat me found up, I'm just full of surprises!"

"So am I!" said Roxas as he shot a huge spell at Gideon, a Mega Flare spell, that exploded in front of Gideon, producing a massive fireball that knocked Gideon to the ground.

"Where'd you learn that?" Sora asked as he got back up and stood next to Kairi.

"I found it in a book in The King's library," said Roxas, "there's a lot books on advanced Keyblade spells and techniques. I did used to know it, back when I was with Orginization XIII, but for some reason I had to relearn it."

"We'll have to look them up someday," said Kairi.

Just then Gideon got back up, "I'll say it again, not bad, kiddo, not bad at all."

"What do we have to do to get rid of this creep?" Tess asked.

"You can't just get rid of me," said Gideon, "give me what I want, and I'll go away, it's as simple as that."

"I think not," said Naminé. She apparently had been sitting on the sidelines all the time, waiting for the chance to draw Gideon's portrait, which she just finished. Naminé then shot a memory erasing spell at Gideon that left him complete brainless. He collapsed to the ground a drooling idiot.

"That's the end of that," said Naminé.

"Now for the other guy," said Roxas as he glared at Xorat, who was still fighting the vampires and wolves. He then shot a fireball at Xorat, just to get his attention, "hey, freak job! You're all mine!"

"Are you speaking to me?" Xorat asked as he jumped away from Edward, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Emmet, Jacob and his pack and landed in front of Roxas.

"That's right," said Roxas, "I'm your opponent now."

"Mind if I get my licks in?" Nessie asked, "or rather, bites."

"Not at all," said Roxas. He then glared at Xorat, "are we gonna fight nor not?"

"I'm going to rip you apart, you obsolete model!" snapped Xorat, "I have been improved by the mistress of all evil. I am far superior than any other Nobody; Xemnes and his pathetic posse of posers can't hold a candle to me."

"Hey, jerk-face," said Roxas, "I used to be one of those guys. Sure, they were evil, but they were my friends nonetheless. You got a problem with them, then you've got a problem with me!"

"I certainly do have a problem with you!" snapped Xorat. He then shot a massive crimson beam at Roxas, who blocked it with his Keyblades, but the force of the beam was forcing him back.

But then Nessie got behind Xorat and bit him on the neck. Xorat stopped his beam and tried to shake Nessie off, but she wouldn't let go.

Eventually Xorat threw Nessie off, ripping off part of his neck in the process. But his wound healed itself within seconds.

"That's completely unfair!" said Nessie.

"Life's unfair," said Xorat.

"Then how about unlife!" shouted Bella. She ran up to Xorat and bit him on the arm. He ripped himself away and his wound was healed within seconds. He then tried to break Bella's head open but she dodged it.

"So now we know that Nobodies aren't affected by vampire venom," said Edward.

"I could have told you that," said Alice.

Just then Gideon got back up, apparently fully recovered by Naminé's memory attack, "always backup your files, both on your computer and in your head."

"You evil bastard!" snapped Kairi, "why can't you just leave me and my friends alone?"

"Because it pleases me to see you and your friends suffer," said Gideon.

"You're a freaking psychopath, you know that?" Aiden asked.

"Supplication will get you nowhere," said Gideon.

* * *

><p>"It looks like this battle could go on for a while," said The Negotiator.<p>

"Indeed," said a now impatient Maleficent, "Gideon is rapidly running out of leeway. He had better end this here and now, or else."

But instead of attacking, Gideon kept spouting why he was superior to Sora and the others and how he was going to get Aiden and Kairi.

"Enough of this procrastination!" shouted Maleficent.

* * *

><p>Just then over the battlefield came the sound of Maleficent's irate voice, "Enough of this procrastination!"<p>

"Oh, this is not good," said a worried Riku.

""I will not tolerate any further delays, Gideon!" shouted Maleficent.

"But I've got them right where I want them, Maleficent!" shouted Gideon, "if you would just be patient a little longer, I'll…"

"NO I WILL NOT!" shouted Maleficent, "this fiasco has gone on long enough! Xorat! End this battle and bring me Kairi and Aiden!"

"I obey, great one!" said Xorat. He then rose up into the air, his whole body pulsing with crimson energy.

"What's he doing?" Hayner asked.

"I can't hear his thoughts," said a worried Edward, "but whatever he's doing, it can't be good."

"It's definitely not good," said a scared Alice, "he's gonna unleash a huge blast that's going to blow us all away!"

"Not if we blow him away first!" shouted Roxas. He then shot a Mega Flare spell at Xorat, but when the spell exploded and the blast cleared, Xorat was still hovering up in the air, still pulsing with crimson energy.

"We have to stop him!" shouted Sora as he and everyone else who could use magic shot spells at Xorat, but none of them had any effect on the vile Nobody.

Just then Xorat crossed his arms and the crimson energy condensed into his arms, pulsing brighter and brighter and faster and faster.

"Take this!" shouted Xorat, "Darkness Wave!" he shot his arms out and a massive pulse of crimson energy exploded across the area, completely overwhelming our heroes, both mortal and vampire. They were all knocked down, while leaving Gideon completely unharmed.

"That was…something, I'll admit," said an impressed Gideon.

"As I told these rejects," said Xorat as he landed back on the ground, "I am the ultimate Nobody. Now," glared out at Sora and the others, who were all unable to move. The blast of dark energy had sapped their strength almost to the point of death, rendering them unconscious. Even the vampires, immortals that they were, had found themselves drained of vitality. They just lay there on the ground like corpses.

As for Jacob and his pack, they too had their strength stolen from them. They lay there on the ground, weak as puppies.

"Let's finish them now," said Xorat.

"We could," said Gideon as he walked over to the unconscious Kairi and picked her up in his arms, "or, we could wait to kill them until after I've gone to work on this one."

Gideon glared at Sora, who somehow was still awake, "I guarantee this, kiddo, the next time you see your girlfriend, she's going to be out for your blood," he then saw Xorat sling Aiden over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, "and you'll never see this numb-nut again at all!"

"No!" gasped Sora. He struggled to get back up, using his Keyblade for support.

"Isn't this something," said Gideon, "he can barely move, but he still wants to fight."

"Disgusting," said Xorat. He then kicked Sora in the head, knocking him completely out.

"And that's that," said Gideon. He then opened a Dark corridor and he and Xorat walked into it with their ill gotten prizes.

* * *

><p>The Dark Corridor opened up inside Maleficent's throne room and Gideon and Xorat walked out. Xorat roughly dropped Aiden onto the floor, while Gideon gently placed Kairi in front of Maleficent.<p>

"Don't damage the boy," said Maleficent to Xorat, "I need his mind intact."

"Forgive me, mistress," said Xorat, "his head is undamaged, but I should not have treated the subject so roughly."

"You are forgiven this time, Xorat," said Maleficent, "regardless, the two children needed are finally here." She glared at The Negotiator, "revive them, now!"

"Yes, at once," said The Negotiator. He then summoned two Mega Potions, while a pair of lesser demons propped up Aiden and Kairi. The Negotiator forced the Mega Potions down their throats. Within seconds Kairi and Aiden were awake. They both looked around and were shocked to see Maleficent.

"At long last," said Maleficent to the two captured Keyblade Wielders as she gave a disarming but still vicious smile, "welcome, young ones, welcome to your destinies."

"Kairi," said Aiden, "we're in deep trouble."

"You can say that again," said a frightened Kairi.

* * *

><p>A portal opened up in the third district and from it ran King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Areith, Leon and Yuffie, "there they are!" shouted The King as the five of them ran towards Sora and the others, all of them still unable to move.<p>

"Oh, this is bad," said Yuffie, "what happened here?"

"Trouble is what happened," said Leon.

"We'll know what happened to them soon enough," said Queen Minnie. She then cast a huge Heal spell on all of the disabled heroes and they were all revived.

"Easy now, Sora," said King Mickey as he, Queen Minnie, Leon, Yuffie and Areith helped them up.

"Your Majesty?" Sora asked, "what…what are you doing here?"

"We heard that Gideon finally made an appearance," said King Mickey.

"Where's Kairi and Aiden?" Yuffie asked.

"They're gone," said a remorseful sounding Riku, "Gideon and that new Nobody took them. We…we failed."

**The end of chapter 8.**

Next chapter finds our heroes struggling to find a way to save Kairi and Aiden, while also searching for some answers. Can they find a way to save their friends before Kairi has the dark whammy put on her? Or does Gideon have something more insidious instore for her? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	9. Chapter 9: The Doppelganger from Hell

Last time found our heroes facing Xorat, and to make a long story short, got their combined tails kicked by the vile Nobody, whom then brought Kairi and Aiden to the realm of darkness. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 9: The Doppelganger from Hell**

A portal opened up in the third district and from it ran King Mickey, Queen Minnie, Areith, Leon and Yuffie, "there they are!" shouted The King as the three of them ran towards Sora and the others, all of them still unable to move.

"Oh, this is bad," said Yuffie, "what happened here?"

"Trouble is what happened," said Leon.

"We'll know what happened to them soon enough," said Queen Minnie. She then cast a huge Heal spell on all of the disabled heroes and they were all revived.

"Easy now, Sora," said King Mickey as he, Queen Minnie, Leon, Yuffie and Areith helped them up.

"Your Majesty?" Sora asked, "what…what are you doing here?"

"We heard that Gideon finally made an appearance," said King Mickey.

"Where's Kairi and Aiden?" Yuffie asked.

"They're gone," said a remorseful sounding Riku, "Gideon and that new Nobody took them. We…we failed."

"No," said Sora, "we haven't failed yet."

"Are you brain dead or something?" Tess asked, "The enemy has Aiden and Kairi! It's over!"

"No it isn't!" said Sora, "We can get them back! We're going to get them back."

"A rescue mission," said Edward.

"Sounds like my kind of party," said Emmet.

"We're with you on this, Sora," said Bella, while Alice, Jasper and Rosalie nodded in agreement.

"Same with us," said Jacob after he phased back to human, "my pack is with you all the way," at that the four wolves nodded in agreement.

"You can count us in as well," said Hayner, while Pence, Olette, Will and Kirjava, Lyra and Pan, all nodded in agreement.

"Count us in too," said Roxas.

"I'm definitely going to save my Somebody," said Naminé.

"Is she alright?" Sora asked, "can you sense her? 'Cause I can't make contact with Kairi or Aiden."

"I can't hear them either," said Riku, while Tess shook her head.

"I can't hear her thoughts," said Naminé, "but, I feel that she's okay, for now. And if Kairi's alright, then Aiden's okay as well."

"Then we have to go get them," said Roxas, "before something happens to them."

"Before Gideon sucks the faces of the last of the Princesses of Heart out of Aiden's mind," said Tess, "and then turn Kairi evil."

"No way we're letting that happen," said Riku in a determined tone, while Tess nodded in agreement, "we shouldn't have given up so easily, Sora, so you can count us both in."

"I don't what I was thinking," said Tess, "after all that I've been through, I must be finally losing my mind to give up like that."

"You're not crazy," said Olette, "just a little weird."

"You'd call me crazy if you knew what I had suffered through," said Tess.

"Try me," said Pence.

"You're better off not knowing the full details," said Edward.

"How bad could it be?" both Nessie and Bella asked.

"Imagine my whole body from the neck down completely covered by horrible scars," said Tess, "and also imagine me stalking the minions of a dictator, murdering the minions whenever I pleased. That's the beginning of it."

"So you are crazy," said Nessie.

"Only to excess," said Tess.

"I think you all are forgetting something," said The King.

"We haven't forgotten about Kairi and Aiden," said Sora.

"But you are forgetting the fact that they're now in the realm of darkness," said Leon.

"We can't go there," said Riku, "we need to go to Twilight Town and use the portal in The Old Mansion."

"That may be a problem," said The King, "we've tried to get to the Old Mansion, just to make sure that nothing has come through the portal from the other side. But we can't get inside it."

"There's some kind of force field around the house," said Yuffie, "we tried to get through and secure the computer room, but the force field is too strong."

"Before we left home," said Hayner, "when we were battling those demons, some of them were trying to get into the old mansion, but they couldn't get past the front gate."

"That's the problem we're facing right now," said Areith.

"Then that's what we need to do," said Sora, "we need to go to Twilight Town and get inside the Old Mansion."

"There's something else that we should do," said Riku, "we should find Ansem the Wise. He somehow got out of the realm of darkness, so maybe he had something to do with the force field around the mansion."

"And I'd like to talk to him as well," said Hayner, "him and Ruyzaki. They both have a lot of answers to give us."

"The biggest question should be what the hell happened to the talisman?" Jacob asked.

"I'd really like to know that as well," said Will.

"They said that it was in the vault," said Lyra, "they never said anything about someone else looking for it."

"Oh they've got a lot to answer," said Riku.

"And how," said Tess.

"Right," said Sora, "we've got a lot to get done, so let's get to it," he then rubbed his wrists like Aiden always does, "let's do it."

"Let's hope that Vivi has _The Voyaging Light _ready to go," said Olette.

"I know Sidney will have _The Intrepid Heart _ready," said Riku.

"It'll take way too long to fly to Twilight Town," said King Mickey. He then opened a portal, "I'll make sure that your ships get there after us, but we need to go now."

"Well, as long as you explain to Vivi why we had to leave him behind," said Pence.

"I just know Sidney's gonna blow a gasket over being abandoned,' said Riku.

"What's a gasket?" Tess asked.

"I'll tell you later," said Riku as they both entered the portal. Hayner and his friends then went in, followed by Will, Lyra and their daemons, then the vampires, then Jacob and his pack.

"Let's go, Sora," said The King as Areith, Leon, Yuffie and The Queen went into the portal.

"Right," said Sora. He looked up at the stars as King Mickey went into the portal. "Kairi, Aiden, just hang on. We're coming for you soon." With that he entered the portal, which closed up after him."

* * *

><p><strong>…New Hollow Bastion…a few minutes ago…<strong>

"At long last," said Maleficent to the two captured Keyblade Wielders as she gave a disarming but still vicious smile, "welcome, young ones, welcome to your destinies."

"Kairi," said Aiden, "we're in deep trouble."

"You can say that again," said a frightened Kairi. She then glared defiantly at Maleficent, "just so you know, I'm going to do my very best to rest the whammy that Gideon's gonna put on me. If you want me to do your dirty work, you'll have to break me first, and I don't break that easily."

"I'm just as tough," said Aiden as he also glared defiantly at Maleficent, "you want to get inside my brain, you're going to have to fight your way in, and I intend to resist every step of the way."

"I'm sure of that," said Maleficent, "I am completely sure that the two of you will make things very difficult for what has to be done, but it will be done, and all your efforts at resistance will be in vain," she glared at Gideon, "which one shall receive their dark due first?"

"It'd be best if we got the identities of the new princesses of heart first," said Gideon, "let's start on Aiden, then we can corrupt Kairi."

Several lesser demons then grabbed hold of both Kairi and Aiden. They struggled to break free, but the grip of the demons was too strong. Aiden was then dragged to a metal table that had restraining straps. He tried to break free of his captors, but the demon's hold on Aiden was too strong. They threw him onto the table and strapped him down.

"Stop it!" shouted Kairi as she struggled against her demon captors, "you're hurting him!"

"This is nothing, Kairi," said Aiden as the demons finished strapping him down, making sure the restrains were extra tight, "a little uncomfortable, but they haven't beaten me yet, so don't worry about me, I'm tougher than I look, you know."

"We haven't even started on you," said Gideon, "and we will, just as soon as The Scanner gets here," he looked at The Negotiator, "and just where is our bony friend?"

The Negotiator checked his PDA, "I'm afraid that The Scanner is otherwise in dispose at this present time, Mr. Graves."

"Excuse me?" Gideon asked irately.

"Apparently The Scanner is meditating at this current time, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator, "he always meditates at this time of day for exactly two hours and cannot be disturbed for anything until he finishes."

"Oh, that's right," said Gideon, "that boney guy has it scheduled in every day," he checked his watch, "and he should be halfway done by now," he looked at The Negotiator, "make sure he gets the memo to come up here as soon as he's done. And get the tech guys up here with the control chip."

"It shall be done, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator.

Gideon then looked at Maleficent, "we might as well move forward with the plan, which means turning Kairi to the darkness."

"Indeed," said Maleficent.

"Never!" shouted Kairi as the lesser demons dragged Kairi to another metal table with restraining straps, "I'll never turn to the darkness! I'd rather die!"

"That won't be fun at all," said Gideon as the lesser demons forced Kairi facedown onto the table and strapped her in, making sure that the straps were extra tight, "how can you go fetch the princesses of heart if you're dead?"

"Why the hell do you need Kairi to do it, you sick bastard?" Aiden asked, "if you're going to get the info out of my head, which isn't gonna happen thank you very much, but if you do have the info, why can't you go get the princesses? Or have some other villain do it? Why do you need Kairi to do your dirty work?"

"You are so naïve," said Gideon as he pulled out a stick of gum from his pocket and began chewing, "but if it'll satisfy your curiosity; the ritual which will free Lord Kira from limbo requires not only the new princesses of Heart also needs a princess who's also a Keyblade Wielder. I need that particular girl to be turned to the darkness _before _she fetches the new princesses.

"It is this corrupted princess, whose acts of evil and betrayal will break the hearts of her friends and loved ones, will ensure that the dark magic involved in the ritual, will be at its highest potency."

He smiled viciously at Kairi, "before you go out to find the new princesses, I'm going to send you back to your friends. I'm going to make you hurt them, and hurt them bad, both in body and heart. I want you to break their spirits by your betrayal, and through your evil eyes I, and Maleficent of course, will watch as your friends wither in despair and anguish when they see what you've become."

"Go to hell!" snapped Kairi, "I'll never do any of that! I'll never betray Sora and the others! I'd rather die first!"

"You tell them, Kairi!" said Aiden.

"Silence!" snapped Maleficent a she sent a minor bolt of purple lightning at Aiden and Kairi. The two of them didn't shout as the dark magic raged through the bodies but inside they were screaming.

But Maleficent stopped her curse after a few seconds. Kairi and Aiden gasped in relief.

"Now, Gideon," said Maleficent, "begin the corruption process."

"Just as soon as the chip gets here," said Gideon. Just then a lesser demon walked in with a small green box and handed it to Gideon.

"And here it is," said Gideon as he opened the box, revealing a black microchip about half an inch square, marked with three large green G's. "And now to get to it."

"Keep that horrible thing away from me!" shouted Kairi.

"Sorry, doll face," said Gideon as he walked over to Kairi and pushed her hair to one side, revealing her neck, "but you're all mine now." He then pressed the chip onto her neck at the base of her head, the micro-circuitry injecting itself into her brainstem. Kairi screamed in agony as the chip infected her with its evil.

"Just give it a second," said Gideon, "while the circuits enter her brain," he waited for Kairi to stop screaming. She then gasped and went limp, "and that should do it," he looked at the lesser demons, "untie her and get her up on her feet."

The lesser demons did so, releasing Kairi from the table and helped her stand up. She stood there, a dazed look on her face.

"Any second now the chip will completely seize control of her mind," said Gideon, "and then she'll do whatever I tell her to do."

Kairi then blinked several times. She then looked at Gideon and her face twisted with rage. Before Gideon could react, Kairi punched him in the face. Gideon staggered back, his hands clasping to his face, but then he clutched at his throat, revealing a rapidly blossoming black eye.

"Go frack yourself, you bastard!" Kairi shouted.

"You…you made me swallow my gum!" snapped Gideon, "it's going to be in my digestive track for years!"

"If I had a violin," said Kairi as she reached back to her neck and grabbed the chip, "I'd play you a sad tune," she then ripped the chip out from her neck. She gasped in pain as the micro circuitry was pulled from her body, but then she cast a Heal spell with her free hand. She was alright in seconds, then she threw the slightly bloody chip to the ground and crushed it with her foot.

"This is inconceivable," said The Negotiator in a shocked tone, "no mortal can resist the mind control technology in Mr. Graves chip, no mortal, and certainly not a child."

"You forgot one thing, you pinstriped pimp," said Aiden, "Kairi's a princess of heart."

"Pure heart in here," said Kairi as she pointed at her heart, "it'll take a lot more than evil science to turn me to the darkness."

At that Gideon slapped Kairi across the face, but she endured the blow, "go ahead, hit it all you want," she said defiantly, "it won't make a bit of difference."

Gideon raised his hand to strike Kairi again, but changed his mind before he could hit her. "alright then," he said in a calm but vicious tone, as if a new vile idea was coursing through his mind, "if I cannot turn you evil, I'll just have to resort to Plan B."

"Plan B, Mr. Graves?" The Negotiator asked.

"Yes," said Gideon, "Plan B."

"I Think Not!" shouted Maleficent in a highly irate tone. She then blasted Gideon with a massive bolt of purple lightning, the dark magic wrapping around his body like a snake and forcing him to the ground as he writhed in agony.

"I have had just about enough of your failures, Gideon Graves," said Maleficent in a remorseless tone, "I have endured your games and plans for the last time. This latest failure is the last straw! I warned you, and now you are going to die!"

"No!" shouted The Negotiator as Maleficent continued to torture Gideon to death, "you can't!"

"Kill him, Xorat!" snapped Maleficent.

"With pleasure," said Xorat. He then shot over to the pinstriped demon and broke the demon's neck. The Negotiator fell to the floor, dead as a doornail.

"And now to finish you," said Maleficent as she prepared to increase the power of her dark lightning to a killing spell, "farewell, Gideon, it has not been a pleasure."

Kairi and Aiden could only watch as Maleficent prepared to murder Gideon. But the evil man had one last card to play, one that would spare his life, if he played it right.

"I can salvage this!" shouted Gideon through the agony the dark lightning was causing him, "I can still carry out the ritual!"

"I do not care!" snapped Maleficent, "none of your plans have succeeded, why should I listen to this one?"

"Because I'll kill myself if it fails!" shouted Gideon.

That remark took Maleficent by surprise a bit. She canceled her curse, releasing Gideon from the purple lightning. He slumped to the ground, gasping for air as his body smoldered a bit from the after effects of the curse.

"Very well then," said Maleficent as she crossed her arms, "you have my attention. You have exactly two minutes to explain yourself as to why I shouldn't kill you now. How can you do to make sure that your plan can still succeed?"

Gideon stood up and straightened his clothes, salvaging his dignity. He then looked at Maleficent seriously, "I did take into account that the chip wouldn't work on Kairi. It was a remote possibility, one that I really didn't think was worth worrying about, but I had a contingency plan made up just in case; Plan B."

"And what exactly is Plan B?" Maleficent asked.

Gideon gestured to the lesser demons. Several of them grabbed Kairi and held her still while another demon ripped the sleeve of her shirt and took a blood sample from her arm, "I intend to use Kairi's DNA to create a biological robot, a biot. This creature will look exactly like Kairi in every physical detail, but she will have easily twice the power as Kairi, all dark of course, and she will be programmed to obey my every command."

"That's your backup plan?" Kairi exclaimed as she struggled against the demon that was stealing her blood, "you're going to clone me?"

"More than a clone," said Gideon, "this is a biot; part machine, part organic clone, perfectly fused by science and dark magic."

"Can this be done?" Maleficent asked in an intrigued tone, "can you create a dark copy of the girl?"

"This won't be a simple copy," said Gideon, "not a clone but an organic cyborg with a heart of darkness, a Dark Duchess if you will."

"A Dark Duchess," said Maleficent, tasting the word on her vile tongue, "yes, it has merit. How soon can this be done?"

"I already have the equipment set up in one of the rooms in the castle," said Gideon, "I have done extensive experiments with biots and have some pretty good successes with them. The idea of an army of biological robots has been on my mind for quite some time. The Negotiator has the full details of my experiments if you wish to peruse them."

He then saw the remains of The Negotiator, which were now dissolving into green slime, "now why did you have to do that? Do you have any idea how expensive it is to make a clone of a demon? Especially one as efficient as that one."

"I was in no mood for any malarkey from anyone at the time," said Maleficent.

"Just how expensive is it to clone a demon?" Xorat asked.

"A lot more expensive than to clone a human," said Gideon. "And that itself is no easy feat, especially when you're cloning the memories of the original. That's why it's taking so long to bring back Matthew, Lucas and the others, and now that The Twins are defeated, it'll be a while before they can come back as well. But that's not important right now."

He then looked at the lesser demon who had just finished taking Kairi's blood sample, "get that to the biot lab and start working on it. I want a fully grown dark version of Kairi by the time The Searcher is done trawling Aiden's brain," he looked at his watch, "and he should be along soon." The lesser demon bowed and ran out of the room, while the other lesser demons tied Kairi back up and sat her in a summoned chair.

"So that's your backup plan," said Aiden, "instead of turning Kairi evil, you're going to make an evil copy of her."

"Right in one," said Gideon, "but Sora and the others will think that the Kairi-biot is the real Kairi. And guess what, you're going to watch your doppelganger in action, Kairi. I can only imagine how you'll feel when you see Sora see your evil twin."

"You're as dumb as you're crazy!" snapped Kairi, "you don't think that Sora and the others couldn't tell a cheep copy of me from the real thing?"

"If anything," said Aiden, "our vampire friends could smell the difference."

"Oh, that's the best part," said Gideon, "the Kairi-biot will be doubly effective against vampires. And those mangy wolves as well."

"This is assuming you can create such a creature," said Maleficent, "and you said that you would destroy yourself if the plan failed."

"Ah, yeah," said Gideon, "I did say that. I'll admit that I said it when I did so that you wouldn't kill me, but I'll swear it now. If Plan B fails, I'll commit Seppuku right here in front of your throne, Maleficent," he looked at Xorat, "I'll even have you swing the sword to cut my head off after I stab my guts out."

"And act that I will most surely enjoy," said Xorat.

"Patience, my dark friend," said Maleficent, "not just yet," she looked at Gideon, "so be it. This will be your absolute final chance, Gideon Graves. If your biological robot fails to perform to the standards you have set, if it cannot even be created, your life will be forfeit."

"I have no objections," said Gideon, "this plan will succeed, it will."

"You sick freak!" snapped Aiden, "betting your own life. You are most surely the mist despicable human being who ever lived!"

"Who said he was human to begin with?" Kairi asked.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," said Gideon.

Just then another Negotiator arrived in the room via Dark Corridor, "reporting for duty, "Mr. Graves."

"I hope you'll have a much longer lifespan than your predecessors," said Gideon as he looked at the slight green stain on the floor where the previous Negotiator used to be.

"So do I," said the new Negotiator.

"So then," said Xorat, "how long will it take to produce this faux Kairi?"

"We're going with Plan B," said Gideon to the new Negotiator.

"Plan B, very well," said The Negotiator as he pulled out his PDA, "has the blood sample been taken?"

"Already done," said Gideon, "and it's on its way to the lab."

"Then the growth process shouldn't take longer than two hours," said The Negotiator.

"Two hours?" Maleficent asked in an intrigued tone, "can you produce such a doppelganger in only two hours?"

"I told you that I have been extensively experimenting with the technology for some time," said Gideon, "truth is, others have been working on it for a long time long before I ever heard of it. The idea was to grow robots that can adapt to different environments of alien worlds, mostly for exploration and colonization. I just stole the technology and warped it to my insidious needs."

"So I get to meet my evil twin in two hours," said Kairi in a disapproving tone, "just give me the chance and I'll destroy her before she even looks at Sora."

"Now that wouldn't be fun at all," said Gideon, "your other self has much more to do than to destroy your friends. Besides, I'm afraid you're going to be in that chair for a long time."

"If I'm going to be forced to sit here and watch your sick games unfold," said Kairi, "the very least you can do is make sure I have some snacks."

"And with me," said Aiden, "just laying around is so boring."

"Oh it won't be boring," said Gideon, "for either of you, I guarantee it," he looked at Kairi, "and you won't be just sitting there. On the contrary, you'll have a very special part to play in this game, just wait and see."

Gideon then looked at The Negotiator, "there's no time to wait for The Scanner to finish his meditating. Go get him up here right now."

"He won't be happy to be disturbed," said The Negotiator, "it's in his contract that he is allowed two hours a day to himself."

"But there's also a clause in the contract that allows me to interrupt him," said Gideon, "in the event of an emergency, and the threat of my forced suicide is just such an emergency. Now go get The Scanner up here now!"

"At once, Mr. Graces," said The Negotiator. He then sent a message out on his PDA.

"Now we just need to wait for our bony friend to arrive," said Gideon, "and then everything will fall into place."

They didn't have long to wait. After a few minutes a demon walked into the dark throne room. The demon was tall and very thin, standing at nearly 8 feet and seemed to be little more than skin and bones. But it had a lot of bones, for it had six arms that ended in needle-tipped talons. It's skin was sickly green and purple and it had four eyes and a lipless mouth. It looked to have a sorrowful expression on its face.

"Just so you know, Mr. Graves," said the demon, The Scanner, in a remorseful tone, "I'm feeling rather depressed over the interruption of my personal time."

"You're always depressed," said Gideon, "now pull yourself together," he pointed at Aiden, "you have a mind to trawl."

The Scanner looked at Aiden with inquisitive eyes, "Ah, yes, the boy with the hidden faces in his mind," he held up his needle-like talons, "it shall be a pleasure to investigate the secrets inside your head."

"The hell you will!" snapped Aiden, "there's no way am I letting you inside my head!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice, young human," said The Scanner. He walked over to the table where Aiden was strapped down and stood behind Aiden's head, "with your blessing, Mr. Graves."

"If Maleficent has no objections," said Gideon as he looked at Maleficent.

"I have none," said Maleficent.

"Then proceed," said Gideon to The Scanner.

The bony demon then placed his hands on the sides of Aiden's head. He flinched at the demon's touch.

"Now hold still and relax," said The Scanner as he placed his needle-talons at key pressure points on Aiden's head, "it will only make you suffer more if you resist."

"Hell yes I'm going to resist!" snapped Aiden.

"Suit yourself," said The Scanner. He then pressed his talons into Aideon's head, the needles not actually piercing his skin but rather melding into his head. Aiden gasped with agony at the sudden invasion of his body.

"No!" shouted Kairi, "stop it!"

"He hasn't even begun," said Gideon.

"Search his mind," said Maleficent as she called up the images of Sara, Usagi and Miley, "reveal to us the identities of the remaining four princesses."

The Scanner closed his eyes in concentration and sent pulses of dark magic into Aiden's mind. Aiden began hyperventilating at the influx of evil energy, but he struggled against what was happening to him, "I won't let you see who the princesses are! I won't!"

"You have no choice, human," said The Scanner, "I am in control now," he sent more dark magic into Aiden's mind, causing Aiden to cry out in pain.

The Scanner then opened his eyes, which projected into the air the image of a stain glass window that had Lyra's picture on it.

"That's one of the kids hanging out with Sora," said Gideon, "we already know she's a Princess of Heart."

The Scanner then forced more dark magic into Aiden's mind and both of them shouted, "Lyra Silvertongue!"

"And now we know her name," said Maleficent as she added Lyra's image to the other three princesses, "and she is within arms reach of our power."

The Scanner then blinked and produced another image with his eyes. This was the stain glass picture with Nessie's image.

"Renesmee Cullen!" shouted both Aiden and The Scanner.

"The halfbreed," said Gideon, "and a thorn in my side."

"And one you allowed to slip through your fingers," said Maleficent, "yet rejected because she didn't fit your parameters."

"I didn't know that she was the right one," said Gideon, "I didn't know that she was a Princess of Heart until it was too late. I only followed the directions an earlier Negotiator gave me."

"It's true," said The Negotiator, "one of my predecessors told Mr. Graves that Renesmee was a candidate for what was needed for the ritual. But when Renesmee was delivered to him, all he saw was that she was just a vampire human hybrid, nothing more."

"You had a princess of heart in your clutches and you let her go?" Xorat asked in an outraged tone, "all because you thought she was an imperfect creature? Why didn't you tell me she wasa princess of heart? And the other one! The one with the daemon, they both were right there on Twilight Town and I could have grabbed them!"

"So I made a mistake," said Gideon.

"You seem to be making a lot of those recently," said Maleficent in an irate tone.

"Well you would have made the same choice as I did," said Gideon, "I mean, come on. How can a half vampire line Renesmee Cullen be a Princess of Heart? She's not even really alive."

"She is alive," said Kairi, "Nessie is more alive than you'll ever be, you racist bastard!"

"Oh shut up," said Gideon, "we'll grab the mutant when we grab the other princess that's hanging around with Sora. We'll be back on track before we know it," he then looked at The Scanner, "show us the faces of the last two princesses."

"You'll never find them!" said Kairi, "we ran into Sara, Usagi and Miley by sheer chance, and Aiden had to see their faces in the flesh in order to recognize them. He didn't even remember having visions of them until he met them, so what makes you think you can pull their faces out of Aiden's mind?"

"Because my bony friend is the best psychic demon that I could buy," said Gideon, "if that doesn't count for anything, than nothing does," he looked at The Scanner, "do it! Find the identities of the last two princesses."

"Yes, Mr. Graves," said The Scanner. He then forced more dark energy into Aiden's mind, causing him to scream with agony.

"Stop it!" shouted Kairi, "you're killing him!"

"Not likely," said Gideon, "The Scanner's power ensures that the victim, Aiden in this situation, remains alive. He'll always stop when the victim reaches the limit of endurance."

"But what if the boy resists to the point where he goes past his endurance?" Maleficent asked, "what if he dies and the information dies with him?"

"Then we're all screwed," said Gideon, "but he won't die, not until he gives us what we want."

Just then The Scanner opened his eyes and projected a third image of a stain glass window. This one revealed a girl in her late teens with long reddish gold hair and a hint of freckles on her highly beautiful face. She was wearing black robes with a crest on it, the crest being a red and gold lion. The background of the window showed a large, elaborately constructed castle beside a lake. Around the edge of the picture were four animals; a lion outlined in red and gold, an eagle in blue and bronze, a badger in yellow and black, and a snake in green and silver.

"Victoire Weasley!" shouted both Aiden and The Scanner. They then both shouted, "Hogwarts!" then they shouted a long and complex series of numbers.

"The sixth princess!" said Malefcient as the new image joined the ones of Sara, Usagi, Miley, Lyra and Nessie.

"But what were those other things they said?" Xorat asked, "Hogwarts, and that long numbers."

"The numbers are dimensional coordinates," said The Negotiator as he entered the numbers into his PDA, "I'm sending them to the computer system we set up in one of the empty rooms. Before too long it'll tell us exactly where and when in time and space the sixth princess is."

"And now for the seventh," said Gideon. He glared at The Scanner, "do whatever it takes, but get the last princess out of his mind."

"Yes, Mr. Graves," said The Scanner.

"No!" shouted Kairi, "fight him, Aiden! Don't let this monster win! Fight back! Don't let them get the last princess!"

At that Aiden gasped, "I'm…sorry…Kairi…I…I can't…I…" he then screamed more louder than before.

The Scanner opened his eyes, projecting the image of a girl in her mid teens with shoulder length, straight black hair set with a hair band, and blue eyes, wearing a green and white dress that would be typical in a High school prom. But then the image changed to show the girl wearing a violet suit with black gloves, black boots and a black mask over her eyes. On the front of her suit was a crest depicting an orange shield with a large white 'I.'

"Violet Parr!" said both Aiden and The Scanner, "otherwise known as Shielda. Metroville, U.S.A., Earth!" they then spouted another set of dimensional coordinates.

"And that makes seven," said Gideon as the new image was added to the group of images, "and we can go after them all, just as soon as the Dark Duchess is ready." He looked at The Scanner, "thank you, my bony friend, your work is done."

"I live to serve you, Mr. Graves," said The Scanner. He pulled his needle talons out of Aiden's head, who gasped in both pain and relief.

"Aiden!" shouted Kairi. She glared at Gideon with utter loathing, "you killed him!"

"Oh relax," said Gideon, "he's still breathing."

Aiden then opened his eyes and glared at Gideon, "you son of a bitch. You stole the information from me!"

"That's the idea, you twerp!" said Gideon, "since you wouldn't tell me willingly, and since the info was locked in your subconscious mind, I had to have it dug out of you."

"You misunderstand," said Aiden in a serious tone, "you took from me. The identities of the new princesses, I was supposed to find them. It was a mission given to me by a higher power, along with a lot of other things. I received, therefore I had to give something in return, and what I gave was my dedication to the mission.

"But you, Gideon Graves, you took from my mind the faces and names of the new princesses of heart. You stole from me, and stealing always carries a price. You think that just because you're a Villain that you're immune to the law of Equivalent Exchange? 'To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.' You're going to pay for what you did to me, mark my words. And if I don't make you pay, then someone else will!"

"Looks like someone has recovered from their ordeal rather quickly," said Gideon, "and now, you're only worth to me is a hostage. Eventually Sora and the other twerps will try to rescue you and Kairi, and they will come. I for one intend to be ready for them, but until then," he motioned to two of the lesser demons, "enjoy the dungeons."

"You'll get yours, Gideon!" snapped Aiden as the lesser demons wheeled him out of the room, "you'll get yours!"

"Aiden!" shouted Kairi, "just hold on! Sora will come for us! I know he will!"

"I'm not worried about us, Kairi!" said Aiden, "it's Gideon who should worry. Equivalent Exchange will be satisfied! He'll pay for what he did! He'll pay with his life!"

"Oh cry me a river," said Gideon. He then gestured to the lesser demons, "get him out of here already."

"You will pay!" shouted Aiden as the lesser demons wheeled him out into the hallway.

Gideon sighed with relief once Aiden was out of earshot, "I thought he'd never shut up."

"He's right," said Kairi, "you are going to pay," she looked at Maleficent, "and you as well."

"Your threats mean nothing to me, child," said Maleficent, "your supposed true love Sora, he had his fortunate moments in the past. I admit that I underestimated him and his companions, but no longer. Time is all but up for all of your friends."

"Well your time is also running out," said Kairi, "we know that you only have three lives left."

At that Maleficent looked like Kairi had truly struck a nerve, "how did you learn that?" she exclaimed. She then shot over to Kairi and grabbed her by the throat, "Tell me, girl! How did you learn about my remaining lives? Tell me!" But Kairi couldn't say anything due to Maleficent throttling her.

"No!" snapped Gideon as he forced Maleficent off of Kairi, whom then gulped in some much needed oxygen. Gideon glared at Maleficent, "We still need her alive."

"You have already taken her blood," said Maleficent, "why not destroy her?"

"First of all," said Gideon, "I want her to watch what's coming. I want Kairi to suffer as she watches her doppelganger make her friends suffer. But that's only part of it, and you'll find out the other part once the biot is ready."

"What is it that you are plotting?" Xorat asked.

"Just wait and see, Nobody," said The Negotiator, "Mr. Graves is the man with the plan."

"Ain't that the truth," said Gideon.

* * *

><p><strong>…Twilight Town…The Old Mansion…<strong>

"I can't believe that we used to think that this place was haunted," said Pence as they all stood outside the front gates to the dilapidated old house on the outskirts of town. One thing had changed since Sora had been there last. The tree line of the forest had been cut back by several hundred yards, giving a large field of view from the house, but still leaving a large part of the forest untouched.

"It is a bit spooky," said Tess, "but, I've seen scarier."

"That's one reason why Ansem choose this place," said Riku, "so that while we were working on getting Roxas to give Sora's memories back, we would have a place that Organization XIII wouldn't find so easily."

"And the perfect place to hide a portal to the realm of darkness," said Roxas, "we have to get to that computer," he sighed, "I hope the other Hayner, Pence and Olette are alright. We never finished our summer vacation."

At that Hayner, Pence and Olette, the real ones, all stood around Roxas in a comforting manner, "we're here," said Hayner, "and if those other versions of us were your friends, then you can believe that we're your friends as well."

"That's truer than you think," said Naminé, "the digital versions of you three were created to be exact duplicates of you in every way; your appearance, personalities, habits and mannerisms," she looked at Will, Kirjava, Lyra, Pan, Nessie and her family and Jacob and his pack, "Riku and Ansem recreated Twilight Town and its people in every detail, all for Roxas."

"And all so they could merge me back with Sora," said Roxas, "makes you feel something special to know how much others care about you."

"I'll bet," said Emmet.

Just then King Mickey, who had been standing at the front gates of the old house and trying to get past the force field, turned to face Sora and the others, "it's no good. Ansem has this place locked up tight. I'm afraid that he's the only one who can let us in."

"Then let's see if he's home," said Tess. She then stood at the front gates and shouted as loud as she could, "ANSEM! ARE YOU THERE! COME OUT! WE'VE GOT A HELL OF A LOT TO TALK ABOUT!"

"That's not exactly how I would handle the situation," said Edward.

"And how else would you grab Ansem's attention?" Tess asked,

"Ring the doorbell?" Jacob asked.

"Do you see a doorbell?" Rosalie asked.

"There isn't anyone there anyway," said Alice, "I can't hear any human heartbeats in that house."

"He's not in the house," said Lyra as she looked at the Alethiometer, "it won't say where he is, but he's not in the house."

"What about Young Watari?" Riku asked.

"No sign of him either," said Lyra.

"Then we're going to have to go look for him," said King Mickey, "you guys stay here in case he comes back."

"Try looking at the clock tower first," said Roxas, "That's where I'd be."

"Ok," said King Mickey. With that he ran back through The Woods and into the town proper.

"There's something I need to know," said Sora to Riku and Naminé, "when you made that other Twilight Town with every detail, does that mean…"

"Yes," sighed Roxas, "they made digital versions of Seifer and his crew, and I schooled that jerk in the Struggle tournament. I should know, I was there."

"That reminds me," said Sora as he rummaged through his pockets, "I think I have something of yours. I found it after I woke up from sleeping for a year," he eventually pulled out a small blue crystal sphere, "yeah," said Sora, "this is yours," he tossed it to Roxas, whom caught it.

"That's from the Four Crystal Trophy, "said Pence, "the one they award to the winner of the Struggle Tournament."

"This is mine," said Roxas as he held up the crystal sphere to the light, "it's the one from the trophy that I won. I remember that we, my friends from the other Twilight Town, we divided the crystals among ourselves as a sigh of our friendship."

"But that was just a computer simulation," said Will, "if the tournament, the trophy and the crystal were just data, then how is it that the crystal is in the real world?"

"It must have materialized with Sora when I merged with him," said Roxas. He handed the crystal back to Sora, but Sora insisted that he keep it.

"You won it," said Sora, "it's yours."

"That reminds me," said Hayner, "Seifer says that you forgot the Four Crystal Trophy, the real one, and gave it to us so that we could give it to you."

"I knew I forgot something," said Sora, "so where is it?"

"Still on _The Voyaging Light_," said Olette.

"I knew we forgot something," said Pence.

Just then King Mickey walked back into the area, with Ansem and Young Watari right behind him, "I ran into them, halfway to the clock tower," said The King, "and they were on their way to meet us here."

"I'm guessing that things didn't go so well with The Talisman," said Young Watari.

"You ain't kidding," said an irate Tess.

"The damn thing wasn't in the vault," said Hayner.

"Someone got to it before we did," said Nessie, "and it wasn't Gideon, which was probably the only good thing about what happened."

"They took Kairi and Aiden," said Sora, "that Nobody that was Pantyhose Taro, he took them to the realm of darkness."

"Then the worse has happened," said Ansem in a defeated tone, "by now the enemy must have the identities of all of the new Princesses of Heart, and Kairi…"

"If they'd turn Kairi evil I would know about it," said Naminé, "I'm still connected to her, so if anything happened to her heart, I'd feel it."

"That still doesn't get our friends back," said Lyra, "or does it get us the talisman, which I still can't find with the Alethiometer."

"We know who has the talisman," said Edward, "Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers."

"So those two are involved," said Young Watari, "I honestly didn't think they would, what with all the horrors that Gideon put them through the first time."

"Wait, what first time?" Olette asked.

"It's a long story," said Young Watari, "in short, Scott met Ramona and it was love at first sight. But Ramona had an unfortunate habit of collecting boyfriends, and one lesbian girlfriend, who all turned out evil, with Gideon being the most evil of them all."

"The League of Evil Exes," said Will, "but why would Scott and Ramona want the talisman?"

"Why don't we ask Ryuzaki?" said Riku.

"That's right," said Sora, "I want to ask L why the talisman wasn't in the vault."

"I want to talk to L as well," said Hayner.

"He's the one whose been messing with all of us," said Tess, "messing with our dreams and stuff."

"It's his fault we're on this crazy quest," said Nessie, "he should help us now that we actually need it."

At that Young Watari looked like a nerve had been struck, "that may not be an option."

"What do mean it's not an option?" Pence asked, "We want to talk to L."

"It's just not that way," said Young Watari, "Ryuzaki, he…"

"He what?" Will asked.

"I'm afraid that it may be rather difficult to contact L," said Ansem, "in the time that I have been cooperating with him, he has only contacted me, and not vice versa."

"So he calls you but you can't call him?" Riku, "what kind of relationship is that?"

"One that up until now seems to be working," said Ansem.

"Well it's not working for me," said Riku, "I trusted you to help recover Sora's memories, now I need you to trust us."

"I do trust you," said Ansem, "but the one to does most of the speaking with L is Young Watari here."

"And he's not always answering his messages," said Young Watari, "L is…eccentric, and has other obligations."

"What other obligations are there than saving the realms from the darkness?" Sora asked.

"That is L's business and his business alone," said Young Watari, "but, if you all are so adamant about talking to him, I'll arrange for L to speak with you via Inception."

"Do we really have to talk to him in that dream world?" Olette asked.

"It's the only way to speak to him face to face without the enemy detecting him," said Young Watari as he pulled out his laptop from his briefcase and logged on, "Gideon, and especially Maleficent, would do just about anything for a chance to destroy L, and I can tell that you all won't be satisfied unless you speak to him face to face, so the dream world is the only option."

"When can we talk to L?" Riku asked.

"As soon as he answers his mail," said Young Watari, "which may be a while. Remember, L is one of the greatest detectives who ever existed, and is capable of handling several investigations at once, so he may be engrossed in other mysteries as we speak. I only hope that he's not in the zone right now and can help us."

"And if he is in the zone?" Sora asked.

"Then we may be waiting for longer than a while," said Young Watari.

"And who knows what the enemy could do to Kairi and Aiden in that time," said Riku.

"I'd rather not think about it," said Tess.

"Me neither," said Olette. "but one thing is bothering me."

"What happened with the trees?" Hayner asked, "the forest used to be much bigger."

"We had to do some remodeling while you were out among the stars," said Young Watari, "mostly it involved improving the defenses of the house. I won't say more, but it will be a surprise that the enemy won't see if they try anything. For the time being, we're safe."

"I'll believe it when I see it," said Riku.

* * *

><p>"How much longer is this going to take?" an impatient Xorat asked Gideon, "it's been nearly two hours."<p>

"I said it would be two hours," said Gideon, "the biot should be done and on its way up here soon."

"Well it isn't here," said Xorat.

"It should be here," said The Negotiator.

"I can wait to see my evil twin," said Kairi.

Just then two lesser demons wheeled in a large glass box, and in it was an exact duplicate of Kairi. The other Kairi was just like the original in every detail, except that she wore black versions of the originals clothes. The biot was breathing, but her eyes were closed.

"And here she is," said Gideon as he checked his watch, "right on time as promised."

Maleficent walked around the glass container, examining the biot, "it's uncanny, the resemblance is perfect. If you were to stand the two together, one would be hard pressed to tell the original from the duplicate, I'd wager."

"There will be a difference," said Gideon, "just wait until she is activated."

"Activated?" Xorat asked.

"She has a pulse," said Gideon, "but she's not truly alive, not yet," he looked at Kairi in an insidious manner, "not until we get this one hooked up."

Just then another pair of lesser demons wheeled in a black chair that had metal claps for restraining the arms, legs, torso, and the head of its occupant. "What's that?" Kairi asked in a nervous tone.

"That's what you're going to be sitting in for the rest of your life," said Gideon, "and it'll be a short life after all," he then directed the lesser demons to release Kairi's straps, "now, you're going to get into that chair, right now, or else you die."

"Why should I?" Kairi asked as she stood up, "you're going to kill me anyway, so why should I do anything you want me to?"

"Because I'll have Xorat go hurt your friends," said Gideon, "and have him hurt them bad, especially Sora."

"It'd be my pleasure to make your friends suffer," said Xorat.

At that Kairi realized that she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter what she did, she would lose. But she knew that she had to do what she could to give Sora and the others enough time to come up with a plan to save her and Aiden. Reluctantly, she sat in the black chair, with the clamps shutting on her arms, legs, torso and head, leaving her unable to move.

"Now the fun begins," said Gideon. The Negotiator activated a feature on his PDA, and the chair suddenly glowed with an evil purple light.

Kairi gasped with sudden pain as she felt her energy being slowly drained out of her and into the chair.

"It'll take a while but the chair will suck you dry," said Gideon, "Leaving you an empty husk, without a heart or a soul."

"Where is her energy going?" Xorat asked.

"Into the biot," said Gideon, "the chair steals Kairi's energy, amplifies it and transmits it wirelessly to the copy. Any second now she'll wake up and be perfect."

Just then the glass case vanished and the copy of Kairi opened her eyes, revealing blood red irises. Her expression remained neutral as she stepped off of the hand truck and walked up to Gideon, "I await your command, Mr. Graves," she said in an emotionless tone.

"First thing's first," said Gideon, "say hello to your lesser half," he indicated Kairi.

The biot looked at Kairi with indifferent eyes, "hello," she said briefly, then looked at Gideon, "what is it you ask of me?"

"I'd like to see what she can do," said Xorat, "she may look like Kairi, but what can this copy do?"

The biot looked at Xorat, "you wan to know what I can do?" she asked, she then smiled wickedly, "I'll show you what I can do," she then summoned a Keyblade that looked exactly like Kairi's but it was all black with dark purple lines. She then looked at The Negotiator, "some Heartless if you please."

"Uh…yes," said The Negotiator as he pressed a button on his PDA that summoned a large number of Neo Shadows. The creatures closed in on the biot, but she destroyed them all in one single-handed swing of her dark Keyblade.

Several Large Bodies then appeared, but then the biot jumped behind them one by one and destroyed them all, all within two seconds. She then giggled viciously.

"And now for the ultimate test," said Gideon.

Several demons, all of them like various poisonous insects, surrounded the biot, but then she blasted them all with beams of dark magic, destroying them all in a manner of seconds. Again, the biot giggled viciously.

"Magnificent," said an impressed Maleficent.

"She's alright," said Xorat in a nonchalant tone.

"I knew you'd like her," said Gideon, "and before I forget," he looked at the biot, "you definitely need a name."

"A name?" the biot asked, "what's in a name? All I care about is fulfilling your will, Mr. Graves."

"That can wait a bit," said Gideon, "even though you're not a Nobody, you are the evil version of Kairi, and therefore your name should be a twisted version of hers, like…I don't know…Kiraxi, or something like that."

"Kiraxi," said the biot, "yes, I…I like it," she smiled wickedly again, "I am Kiraxi."

"Not so fast," said Xorat, "she may be evil, but she certainly not a Nobody, and shouldn't have an X in her name."

"Why not?" the biot, Kiraxi, asked Xorat, "you think I can't cut it?" She held her dark Keyblade in an offensive stance, "care to have it out?"

"Absolutely!" said Xorat. He then vanished, only to reappear behind Kiraxi and tried to deliver a kick hard enough to shatter her spine. But Kiraxi blocked the kick with her dark Keyblade and then struck back, forcing Xorat back several paces. The two of them vanished, moving so fast that they were barely more than blurs. They raced around the room, clashing with sparks.

But eventually they both landed on the floor, with Xorat's fist just inches from Kiraxi's face and her dark Keyblade just above his neck, ready to cut it.

"It would seem that we are just about equal," said Xorat.

"It does seem that way," said Kiraxi. The two of them backed away from each other, "I think we're going to get along rather well."

"Yes, we will get along," said Xorat.

"Yeah," said Gideon, "a match made in heaven, or hell, whichever way you look at it," he looked at Maleficent, "any other demonstrations needed for your approval?" he asked.

"The doppelganger is impressive," said Maleficent, "but there is still one final test in which she will earn my full approval," she looked at Kiraxi, "go with Xorat. Find the two princesses that are companions of Sora and the other meddling brats," she indicated the images of Nessie and Lyra, "bring them here unharmed. Do whatever you wish to the others, but bring the two princesses back here alive and intact."

"Do it," said Gideon said to Kiraxi, "go get the girls and make anyone who stands in your way suffer."

"The brats are on Twilight Town," said The Negotiator after checking his PDA.

"Then that's where we will destroy the brats and capture the princesses," said Xorat.

"Let's go get those brats," said Kiraxi, still smiling wickedly."

"One thing before you go," said Gideon to Kiraxi, "when you see Sora and the other brats, and if they call you Kairi, don't deny it. It'll make things that much more enjoyable if they think you really are Kairi."

"Consider it done," said Kiraxi.

Xorat then summoned a Dark Corridor, "Ladies first," he said as he offered the corridor to Kiraxi.

"Flattery will get you nowhere fast," said Kiraxi as she walked into the Dark Corridor, with Xorat following shortly after and it closed up after them.

"Now the real fun begins," said Gideon as he summoned a huge High Definition TV set and placed where Kairi had the best view, "get ready for the show to end all shows."

"You monster!" said Kairi, "Sora and the others will rip those two abominations to pieces!"

"Maybe," said Gideon, "and maybe not. All we can do is watch and see."

"Now this is an event that I wish to observe," said Maleficent as she sat on her dark throne.

"Shall I order refreshments brought in?" The Negotiator asked.

"Absolutely," said Gideon, "I always have a snack when watching something, or someone in this case, being destroyed."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in the dark castle, Aiden was being wheeled down the corridors to one of the dungeons. But as the lesser demons pushed him, Aiden was carefully working his right hand free. By the time the demons placed Aiden in his cell and activated the force field and walked away, Aiden has his had free.<p>

He summoned his Keyblade and cut his straps, freeing him from the table. He then stood up and transmuted the locking mechanism on the cell into mud, deactivating the force field.

Aiden walked out of the cell, but then realized that he had no idea where he was in the castle. He was too focused on getting his hand free to remember the route the demons took him through the castle.

Just then the lesser demons came back because one of them had left something in the cell, only to find Aiden out and about. Before the demons could react, Aiden decapitated the pair of them.

"Okay," said Aiden to himself as the demons dissolved into slime, "I'm lost inside the enemy base, surrounded by Heartless, Nobodies, demons and Villians galore." He sighed, "this isn't the end of the world, not yet anyway."

He looked ahead, seeing that the corridor in front of him split into three hallways, "I won't get anything done by just sitting here. And just waiting for Sora and the others won't do make things better either," he hefted his Keyblade, "hold on, Kairi, I'm gonna get us both out of here!" he then ran into the corridor, taking the one on the far right randomly.

**The end of chapter 9.**

Next chapter finds our heroes facing Xorat and Kiraxi. Can they defeat the dark pair? Or will Sora and the others lose more friends? Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!


	10. Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End

Last time found Kairi and Aiden in the nightmare of their lives. Gideon had his mind-probing demon force the identities of the Princesses of Heart out of Aiden, then Gideon tried to take control of Kairi's mind. Her pure heart proved to be stronger than his dark technology, so Gideon made an evil copy of Kairi, a Dark Duchess named Kiraxi, whom then teamed up with Xorat to go get Nessie and Lyra. Aiden had been taken to the dungeons, but he slipped his bonds and set out to save Kairi.

Meanwhile, Sora and the others arrived at The Old Mansion on Twilight Town in order to have a long, serious discussion with L. 'Nuff said, on with the show!

**Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End**

"I just received word from L," said Young Watari, "he's prepared to speak with you and some of your companions, Sora."

"Only some of us?" Sora asked.

"Broadband problems," said Young Watari, "it takes a lot in order to create the artificial dream world, and even more to pull someone into the dream world."

"Okay," said Sora, "umm…how about me, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence, Olette and Nessie."

"Why not me and Will?" Lyra asked.

"And why not Jacob?" Nessie asked.

"It's alright, Nessie," said Jacob, "some of us should stay awake in the real world."

"Just to keep watch for any trouble," said Will.

"We'd see, hear and smell any trouble coming a dozen miles away," said Emmet.

"I'd definitely see it coming," said Alice.

"Speaking of visions," said Riku, "can you see anything that's happened to Kairi or Aiden?"

Alice closed her eyes in concentration, but opened them after a few seconds, "no, nothing. Either nothing's happened to them yet, or…"

"Or what?" Sora asked.

"Or she can't see anything that's happening to them because she's being blocked," said Edward.

"I still can't find anything about them with The Alethiometer," said Lyra. She then checked the golden compass again, "it's because they're in the realm of darkness. The Alethiometer can't find any truth coming from there, and Alice's visions can't see into that much darkness."

"Oh, well," said a disturbed Alice, "That's enlightening."

"We're not beaten yet," said Sora, "just because we don't know what's happening, doesn't mean that the worst has happened."

"I'm sure that if we ask L," said Riku, "he'll figure out a way so that we can find out what's going on."

"And you can tell us what L tells you," said Jacob to Sora, Nessie, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence and Olette.

"Assuming L tells us the truth," said Tess.

"We'll worry about that when we see him," said Riku. He then looked at Young Watari, "so, what do we need to do?"

"You, need do nothing," said Young Watari as a window on his laptop flashed blue, "just sit back and hold on."

"Hold onto what?" Tess asked.

But then Sora blinked and the next thing he knew, he, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence, Olette and Nessie were in the endless white expanse they were in when they first met L. With them was Young Watari, holding his laptop

And there, not too far from them, squatting besides a laptop of his own, was L, wearing the same white shirt and blue jeans as the first time.

"Hey," said L.

"Hey, yourself you freaking weirdo," said an irate Hayner.

"That's a rather rude way to start things off," said L as he summoned a mug of hot chocolate, "especially since it was you guys who so desperately wanted to talk to me."

"We've been through a lot," said Pence.

"We finished gathering all the keys, just liked you asked," said Olette.

"All the while finding my lost friend and family," said Nessie.

"But it seems that you lost a few friends," said L.

"We'll get to that," said Riku, "we all met up in Traverse Town and found the vault, but Gideon ambushed us with those twin minions of his."

"But we beat them," said Pence, "then had to fight Gideon himself."

"I tried to get the talisman out of the vault," said Tess, "but it was gone."

At that L was taken aback, as if this news was a real shock to him, but he still held his composure, "I'm sorry, what do you mean it was gone? What happened with the Sacred Talisman of Zumakalis?"

"Scott and Ramona was what happened," said Riku, "they got to the talisman first, and now the enemy has Kairi and Aiden."

"Well that's not right," said L casually, "I thought I had everything planned out. There's no way that the enemy could have gotten Kairi and Aiden, and I thought that Scott and Ramona wouldn't get involved this time around."

"How can you be so calm at a time like this?" Tess asked, "our friends have been abducted by the enemy!"

"Is that what happened to Aiden and Kairi?" L asked, "please, tell me everything."

"The enemy has a new Nobody," said Riku, "Xorat, who used to be Pantyhose Taro. That guy completely blew us away and grabbed Aiden and Kairi."

"So you can understand why we're upset," said Olette, "and why we're upset that you're so calm."

"I do understand what you're going through," said L, "but I'm acting calm because getting upset won't make things any better," he sat back in a contemplative manner, "I admit I might have made a mistake."

"You 'might' have made a mistake?" Sora asked in an exasperated manner. Up until now he had been silent, but L's words seemed to have struck a nerve.

"I was completely focused on one course of action," said L as he pulled slightly at his bottom lip, "I should have foreseen other outcomes. Now that what's happened has happened, I realize that sending you all after the keys to the talisman was a waste of time."

Apparently L's words again struck a nerve in Sora. He walked right up and glared down at L, "Ryuzaki," he said in a cold tone.

"Yes?" L asked as he looked up at Sora, only for Sora to punch him hard in the face, knocking him down.

"Sora!" exclaimed Riku, Tess and the others.

"Oww," said L as he stat up and rubbed at where Sora punched him, "you know, that really hurt."

"What's wrong with you?" Sora exclaimed, "what do you mean that unsealing the talisman was a waste of time? You said that it was the only thing that could destroy Gideon, Maleficent and Kira once and for all."

"And it can destroy them once and for all," said L as he stood up, "but we don't have the talisman now, do we?"

"So what if it's gone?" Sora asked, "we'll just go get it, even if it means chasing after Scott and Ramona."

"Good luck finding them," said Young Watari, "Ramona has the power to open subspace corridors that can go pretty much anywhere."

"We'll find them for sure," said Sora, "we need that talisman, it could be the only thing that can save Kairi and Aiden."

"Allow me to rephrase what I said," remarked L, "I wanted to say that since the plan to get the talisman failed, we need to sit back and come up with a new plan, and a better one at that."

"We can't wait," said Sora, "the longer we wait, the more danger Kairi and Aiden are in. Don't you even care about my friends?."

"If you were just going to give up on the talisman," said Riku, "why did you have us chase after the keys? What was the point?"

"Aside from the keys," said L, "you also needed to defeat all the enemies on the worlds and reunite all those which were lost, and that part was a success," he looked at Sora, "I understand what you're going through, but still, whatever the reason…" without warning, L delivered a hard roundhouse kick to Sora's head, knocking him to the ground, "...an eye for an eye, my friend."

"This is wrong," said Olette, "you guys shouldn't be fighting."

"Tell that to L," said Pence, "he's the one who sent us all on this course of action."

"It wasn't the plan that was flawed," said L, while Sora got back up, "it was the information I had that was flawed, that and the people I used to enact the plan."

"Are you saying that we're flawed?" Sora irately asked.

"I'm saying that you did the best with what you had," said L, "and I did the best with what I had."

"You mean us," said Nessie.

"So that's it then," said Sora, "we're all just pawns in your sick games."

"'Sick games?'" L asked, "that's a rather prejudiced viewpoint. But if that's how you want to put it, then yes. I used you all. It was all done to rid existence of several great evils, but nevertheless, I used you, Sora, you and all your friends, and if I had the chance I'd still use you all, until the job was done."

"You son of a banshee!" snapped Sora as he threw a hard right hook at L, hitting him in the face. But L endured the punch, barely moving at all from the force of the blow.

"As I said, an eye for an eye," remarked L as he stood there with Sora's fist still on his face, "I'm tougher than I look, you know." With that he kicked Sora in the head again, knocking Sora down.

But Sora got back up and tackled L to the ground and punched L in the face again. But by then Riku and the others had rushed over and pulled L and Sora apart.

"Let go of me!" shouted Sora as he struggled to free himself from Riku and Nessie, "I'll kill him!"

"Will that bring your friends back?" L asked as he didn't resist against Tess, Hayner and Pence, "Will that get us any closer to finding the talisman?"

"No," said Sora, "but it'll make me feel better."

"You'll feel better then," said Nessie, "but you'll regret it later," she glared at L, "not that I wouldn't mind taking a swing at this manipulative bastard myself."

"You'll have to get in line," said an irate Riku.

"Alright," said L with irate reluctance, "I apologize, for everything. I'm sorry I manipulated everyone's dreams. I'm sorry that I sent you on what turned out to be a wild goose chase. I'm sorry that Kairi and Aiden were taken, and I'm sorry for hitting you, Sora." He looked at Sora with serious eyes, "Now, are you going to calm down so that we can all think of a new plan that can salvage the situation before anyone else gets hurt? Or would you rather we continue beating the hell out of each other?"

Sora stood there for a few seconds before he began to calm down, "you're right, we won't be able to save Kairi and Aiden if we keep fighting. So what's the plan?"

"Well, first of all," said L, "I'd be most appreciative if your friends would let go of the two of us."

"Just so long as you refrain from killing each other," said Nessie as she and Riku released Sora, while Tess, Pence and Hayner released L.

"That's better," said L. He then brought in several chairs, which Sora and the others sat in, while he squatted on the edge of one, "now, let's talk."

"Are you sure you're comfortable sitting like that?" Pence, "I wouldn't be."

"It suits me fine," said L, "now, tell me exactly everything that happened, starting from when Gideon showed up."

"We got twelve of the keys and had gone to Twilight Town to get the last key and open the vault," said Sora, "but when we found the thirteenth key, there was more than one there."

"It was some kind of test," said Tess, "there were three keys. If we put the wrong one in the lock, the talisman would be sealed away forever."

"I chose the right one and the vault was opened," said Sora.

"But that's when all hell broke lose," said Nessie.

* * *

><p>"They've stopped fighting," said Edward, "Sora and L. Now they're all sitting down and they're telling L what happened in the battle against Gideon."<p>

"And you got all that from hearing their thoughts?" Will asked. He indicated Sora, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence, Olette, Nessie and Young Watari, whom were all sitting on the ground with trance-like expressions on their faces.

"It's like they're truly dreaming," said Edward, "and I can listen to dreams as easily as conscious thoughts."

"I'm sure everyone appreciates all the blow by blow commentary," said Ansem, "but I'd rather you not listen any further. L is a man who values his privacy."

"I can tune out people's minds," said Edward, "but if this L didn't want us to hear what was being discussed, then he should have had me stand far enough away so I couldn't hear their thoughts." He looked at Ansem, "and speaking of privacy, you shouldn't have so many of your thoughts out in the open."

"Just what have you overheard in my mind?" Ansem asked in a cautious tone.

"Mostly general knowledge," said Edward, "thoughts that Sora and his companions were aware of; such as how your students became the core members of Organization XIII, and how you still blame yourself for not stopping them, especially Xehanort, from going too deep into the darkness. You especially blame yourself for failing Xehanort, whose real name is Terra by the way."

"Then what Yen Sid said was true," said Ansem, "and since Sora defeated both Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody, then the original Xehanort, the one who unleashed The Unversed upon the realms, he lives again."

"That's only stuff that Sora and the others know," said Jacob, "but what secrets are you hiding? I mean the dirty ones that could have helped us if you didn't keep them to yourself?"

"Nothing that would benefit you, young man," said Ansem in an annoyed tone.

"Just don't let Sora and the others know that Happosai is on the lose in the realms somewhere," said Edward.

"That perverted old man who Sora and the others talked about?" Lyra asked in a shocked tone, "the one who gets his power from molesting girls?"

"The same," said Edward.

"If a little old pervert tried to touch me," said Rosalie, "I'd tear him a new one."

"Not if I tore him first," said Emmet.

"I'd just break every bone in his body," said Bella.

"As would I," said Edward, "also, make sure that word doesn't reach Sora's friend Ranma. He hates Happosai with a vengeance, or so Sora believes."

"Oh, Ranma," said Jacob, "Sora and the guys talked about him. Cool guy, I'd like to meet him someday."

"He's with his soul mate," said Lyra after consulting the Alethiometer, "on a distant realm of magic and wonder, populated by talking ponies."

"Talking ponies?" Will asked.

"I think we visited that world," said Kirjava. She looked at Pan, "while we were separated from Will and Lyra, right?"

Yeah," said Pan, "but we weren't there for long."

"Just when are you two gonna tell us what you did while you were away?" Will asked both Pan and Kirjava.

"When we're ready," said both Pan and Kirjava.

"Which means never," said Lyra.

"I wouldn't be so hasty to give up," said Pan, "we'll talk when we're ready."

Just then Alice tensed from a sudden vision, "oh no," she said, "they're coming."

"Who?" Jacob asked.

"Xorat," said Alice, "and…no! it can't be! It just can't be!"

"What is it?" Bella asked, "what did you see?"

"Kairi," said Edward, "she's with Xorat, and she's in the darkness now."

"No," said Namine in a shocked tone, "it's impossible! She can't be evil! I would have felt it if her heart turned! I would have felt it!"

"Well it's what I saw," said Alice, "I saw Kairi and Xorat arrive in a dark corridor, and she was dressed all in black, and her eyes were red like blood. She's turn to the darkness."

"Sora isn't going to like that," said Jacob.

"Where are they coming?" Bella asked.

"They're here now!" said Alice.

"They're in the Sandlot," said Edward.

* * *

><p>The Dark Corridor opened up in the Sandlot, from which Xorat and Kiraxi emerged.<p>

"What a pathetic world," said Kiraxi as the Dark Corridor closed behind them, "I want to destroy it."

"So do I," said Xorat, "but not just yet. We have a mission to do."

"Yes," said Kiraxi, "the two princesses, we must take them alive, while killing anyone who stands in our way."

"Hold it, you two!" shouted Seifer as he, Rai and Fuu walked towards Xorat and Kiraxi, "you're strangers in town, and all strangers have to check in with us; the Twilight Town Discipline Committee."

"We have to sort out all the riffraff, ya'know?" Rai said.

"Undesirables unwelcome," said Fuu.

"Excuse me?" Xorat asked, "just who the hell do you think you are?"

"We just said who we were, you morons!" snaped Seifer, "and you shouldn't disrespect your betters."

At that Kiraxi laughed cruelly, "you freaks are better than us? And here I thought I didn't have a sense of humor."

"You two are the freaks, ya'know?" Rai said.

"Mutants," said Fuu.

"I'm no mutant," said Xorat, "And you three humans are in for a world of hurt in you don't stand aside."

"Nobody tells us what to do!" snapped Seifer as he pulled out a an oversized Struggle bat minus the foam covering, while Rai had a 2X4 and Fuu had a length of chain and a pipe in both hands.

"What a coincidence," said Xorat as he cracked his knuckles, "Nobody, for that's what I am!" he then seemed to vanish, only to streak around Seifer, Rai and Fuu, delivering dozens of strikes in a blink of an eye. He then reappeared next to Kiraxi, while the three idiots cried out in agony and collapsed to the ground. All three of them were battered bruised all over.

"Who's better now?" Xorat taunted as Seifer struggled to get back up, only to have Kiraxi kick him in the face, knocking him back to the ground. She then stalked towards Rai and Fuu.

"No! We give up, ya'know?" Rai said as he and Fuu tried to crawl away.

"Surrender!" pleaded Fuu.

"Oh why are you giving up so soon?" Kiraxi asked, "I'm just getting warmed up!" she then grabbed Rai's arm and broke it in three places, then broke Fuu's leg in three places.

"And that's just the appetizer," said Kiraxi as she turned her back on the two goons, leaving them to writhe in agony on the ground, "first course is coming right up."

"Are you going to be making food jokes all the time?" Xorat asked, "or any other kind of pun for that manner."

At that Kiraxi paused in contemplation, "I don't know. I was only created a short time ago, so I'm still figuring myself out. I know that I am evil and owe my allegiance to Mr. Graves, but I have no idea what kind of villain I am to be in terms of personality. Am I comical or serious? Am I completely sadistic all the time? or do I show false kindness that will lead to betrayal? I'm a whole new person, a blank book waiting to be filled."

"Just let things unfold," said Xorat, "you'll figure yourself out soon enough."

Just then Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, Jacob and the wolves, all ran into the area.

"Kairi!" said Bella, "what happened to you?"

"Is that really Kairi?" Jacob asked.

"I…I can't be sure," said Edward in an uneasy tone, "her mind, it's like there's a brick wall around it. I can't hear her thoughts."

"I thought Bella was the only one you couldn't hear," said Jacob.

"Oh, you guys actually care about me," said Kiraxi in a sarcastic manner, "and here I thought you were glad that I was gone."

"You know that's not true," said Jacob, "Kairi, your friends, all of us, we…"

"Oh save it, you mangy mutt," snapped Kiraxi, "you may care about me, but I never cared about you, or any of those other losers, especially that idiot Sora."

"You don't mean that," said Alice, "you're just being manipulated by Gideon."

"He's got that control chip on you," said Jacob, "you're not really evil."

"He is though," said Jasper as he pointed at Xorat.

"And proud of it," said Xorat as he crossed his arms. He looked at Kiraxi, "you want to handle this peanut gallery?"

"Not really," said Kiraxi, "Mr. Graves said that I was to take care of Sora, so I'll save myself for him."

"Suit yourself," said Xorat, "more fun for me."

"I'll show you what fun is," said Jacob. He then phased into his wolf form. He and his pack then encircled Xorat, while Bella, Edward, Alice and Jasper also took up positions around him.

"Let's see," said Xorat as he looked around at his opponents, "four vampires and five stray dogs. Hardly worth my time."

"Well then," said Edward, "We're just going to have to make the time."

"This won't be like the last time we fought," said Jasper, "now that we know what to expect from you."

"This time," said Bella, "this time you're going to be ripped to pieces," she looked at Kiraxi, "and then we're going to save you from yourself, Kairi."

"Not this year," said Kiraxi.

"Can we get this over with already?" Xorat asked in a bored tone, "we do have other things to do today."

"Then let's get it on!" said Alice. She and her fellow vampires rushed at Xorat, who then jumped out of the way of the four of them. They followed the Nobody, all of them streaking around the area, moving so fast that they could barely be seen. The wolves joined the vampires in the chase, the nine of them running after Xorat, who easily dodged their attempts to grab him like it was a game of tag.

All the while Kiraxi watched with a mildly amused look on her face, apparently unaware that Seifer had gotten up and was advancing on her from behind with his oversized bat raised to strike. He then took a swing at her head.

But Kiraxi caught the bat single-handedly while she was still looking at the fight. She took the bat out of Seifers' hands, turned around, looked at him with a bored but contemptuous expression and twisted the bat into a pretzel knot.

Kiraxi tossed the twisted bat back at Seifer, who caught it out of reflex, a shocked expression on his face. Kiraxi then walked right up to him and said in a calm tone, "boo."

Seifer then screamed in terror and ran for his life.

"Wait for us, ya'know!" Rai shouted as he ran after Seifer while clutching his mangled arm,

"Retreat!" shouted Fuu as limped after them, using Rai's 2X4 as a crutch.

"Losers," said Kiraxi as the three idiots left the area. She then focused back on the fight, where Xorat was still playing tag with the vampires and wolves, with him making sure that he was just out of their reach.

"Are you gonna fool around with these rejects all day?" Kiraxi, "or are we gonna get down to business? I want to go hurt Sora."

"I can tell that you're going to be a spoilsport," said Xorat, "but you're right; we should get down to business." He then turned around in midair and struck back at the vampires, first hitting Edward, then Bella, then Jasper, hitting each of them hard enough to knock them to the ground. Alice avoided Xorat's attack, and then struck back herself, only to have her attack blocked. She avoided getting hit by Xorat's fist, but then he grabbed her and threw her to the ground.

Xorat landed on the ground, only to be swarmed by the five wolves. But their fangs and claws barely scratched him. He then pulled them off of him and threw them into the nearby buildings one by one, with Jacob being the last as he held onto Xora's shoulder with his teeth.

But Xorat nevertheless detached Jacob from his body, "I think I'd look good in a fur coat," he said as he threw Jacob into the Struggle scoreboard, shattering it into splinters, "especially with one made of wolf fur."

"You touch a single hair on Jacob," growled Bella as she and her fellow vampires got back up, "and you die."

Xorat then walked over to Jacob in a nonchalant manner. While Jacob was struggling to get back up, Xorat grabbed a handful of Jacob's fur and ripped it out, earning a yelp of pain from the wolf.

"Guess I'm dead," said Xorat as he allowed the wolf hairs to drift out of his hand on the wind.

"Oh get it over with already," said Kiraxi.

"I'll finish it when I want to," said Xorat, "and the time is now!" he rushed at Bella, who merely stood her ground.

"Bella, no!" shouted Edward.

"She knows what she's doing," said Alice.

"I hope so," said Jasper.

Bella waited until the last second as Xorat rushed at her. But then he moved to the left and aimed a kick at her head that would have taken it off. But Bella fell to the ground, effectively dodging Xorat's strike and causing him to overbalance.

Before he could correct himself, Bella jumped back up, grabbed Xorat by the leg, threw him to the ground and bit him on the shoulder. He shouted in agony as Bella's venom coursed through his body. But then he threw her off of him and got back up.

"Undead bitch!" snapped Xorat as he clutched at his wounded shoulder. No blood seeped from the holes in his skin where Bella bit him, "you're lucky that Nobody's can't become vampires, then I'd really be pissed off."

"Well I guess I'm satisfied," said Bella, "partly."

"Our venom can slow him down," said Jasper, "we just need to bite him a few more times and he'll be ready to be ripped apart!"

"I won't give you the chance!" snapped Xorat as his hands pulsed with crimson energy, "I'll blast you into atoms!"

"Well I don't see you healing," said Alice, "and you're not going to heal any time soon."

Xorat saw that his wounded shoulder indeed wasn't healing.

"Can I step in now?" Kiraxi asked, "it looks like you need help."

"I don't need help," said Xorat. He raised his arm, but his shoulder erupted in pain, "but assistance would be appreciated."

"Gladly," said Kiraxi. She then summoned a black fireball and tossed it in her hand like it was a baseball.

"Oh, that's not fair at all," said a nervous Bella as she and the other vampires backed away from Kiraxi.

"Oh come on," said Kiraxi, "you were so eager to fight just a second ago, what's wrong? I thought we were having fun."

"It's different now," said Jasper.

"Oh yes," said Kiraxi, "vampires and fire don't mix," She then smirked viciously, "well too bad!" she threw the fireball at Edward, who barely dodged it.

Kiraxi then summoned fireballs in both hands and threw them at Jasper and Alice, forcing them both back. She then summoned two more fireballs and threw them at Bella, who jumped out of the way, only to run into Xorat, who slammed his fist into Bella's shoulder, breaking it. He then tossed Bella across the area.

Edward caught Bella before she hit the ground, "you bastard!" exclaimed Edward, "you scurvy, shister bastard!" he then ran at Xorat, grabbed him and bit him on the other side of his neck.

But then Edward had to get out of the way as Kiraxi threw more fireballs at him. Kiraxi then focused on Edward, throwing fireball after fireball at him, with Edward barely getting out of the way each time.

Jasper and Alice then ran at Xorat and tried to bite him, but he blasted them both with crimson energy, knocking them both down. He then saw that Jacob and the wolves were all back up on their feet and were about to attack him, but instead he sent out a wave of crimson energy at the wolves, knocking them all down again.

"This has gone on long enough!" snapped Kiraxi. She then summoned a massive black fireball and threw it up into the air. It exploded in midair, showing the area with smaller fireballs.

The wolves and vampires tried to avoid the fireballs, but a handful of the evil flames hit their targets, both wolf and vampire alike. But this wasn't normal fire that would set a vampire ablaze. Instead it burned like acid, eating away at only the small areas of the vampires bodies that they touched. The wolves writhed on the ground in agony as they tried to quench the flames, while Bella, Edward, Jasper and Alice also rolled around in unbridled pain as they tried to get the black fire off of them before they burned completely through their bodies, leaving them riddled with holes like Swiss Cheese.

"I think we've done enough here," said Xorat as he and Kiraxi looked at the agonized wolves and vampires.

"True," said Kiraxi, "let's go, the others are waiting for us to destroy them." With that she and Xorat left the area and headed for The Old Mansion.

* * *

><p><strong>...New Hollow Bastion...<strong>

"Do you see, Kairi?" Gideon asked as the big screen showed Kiraxi create the huge black fireball and sent it to burn the wolves and vampires, "you see what you're doing to your so called friends?"

"You know damn well that I'm not doing this!" snapped Kairi, "it's that freak that you created out of my blood!"

"And such an exquisite creature she is," said Gideon, "I think that, once she's completed her mission and brought all seven of the new princesses of heart here, I'll make her my mistress."

He looked at the image of Kiraxi, "yes, I think I'm ready for a new girlfriend. After all the uncomfortable business with Scott and Ramona, especially Ramona, I feel that I deserve a companion of my own, one who'll do just about anything to please me, and I have great tastes in pleasures."

"I'll bet you do, you sick, twisted, sadistic psycho," said Kairi.

"That's what's bugging me," said Gideon, "so may people think that I'm crazy. I may be evil, but I can assure you that I'm as sane as you are."

"I'll be in hell before I'm on the same sanity level as you!" snapped Kairi.

"You can argue ideology all you wish," said Maleficent, "but no matter what you say, your friends are on the verge of destruction. And in their last moments in existence, they will see themselves being murdered one by one, by the one that they trusted, that they loved, and in that moment of betrayal, their hearts will succumb to the darkness. Perhaps some of them will become Heartless."

"No!" snapped Kairi, "Sora already was a Heartless but he found his way out of the darkness, and nothing you or anyone else can do will ever turn him into a Heartless again, and the same goes for the others."

"We shall see," said Maleficent, "We shall see."

Just then the Negotiator's PDA beeped. He looked at the message and looked like someone had walked over his grave.

"May I speak with you for a moment, Mr. Graves?" the pinstriped demon asked.

"What is it?" Gideon asked as he walked over to the far corner with The Negotiator.

"We have a problem," said The Negotiator in a hushed tone, "Aiden's escaped from his cell."

"What?" Gideon asked, "how's that possible?"

"He must have been in better condition than we thought," said The Negotiator, "he must have slipped his bindings and then he transmuted the cell lock, and now he's lose somewhere in the castle."

"Don't we have security cameras or something?" Gideon asked.

"We do," said The Negotiator, "but there's something wrong with the system. All the cameras have been deactivated."

"Deactivated?" Gideon asked, "how? Who? Why?"

"I do not have the answers to those questions, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator.

"Well you'd better get some answers and get them right now," said Gideon irately, "use as many of our people as necessary, but I want Aiden found, dead or alive," he paused in thought, "preferably dead. I should have had The Scanner finish the little brat off when we had the chance." He glared at The Negotiator, "tear the castle apart if you have to, but find and deal with Aiden."

"It'll be take care of, Mr. Graves," said The Negotiator. He began sending messages out via his PDA to the appropriate demons to begin searching the castle for Aiden.

"Any troubles that I should know about?" Maleficent asked.

"Just a minor hiccup," said Gideon casually as he walked back over, "nothing that can't be fixed."

He then saw on the big screen that Xorat and Kiraxi were fast approaching the old mansion, "better pay attention, Kairi, things are about to get good."

* * *

><p>"Oh my god," said Lyra as she, Will, Pan, Kirjava, Emmet, Rosalie, Donald, Goofy and Ansem saw Xorat and Kiraxi walking towards them.<p>

"I don't believe it," said Will, "she really has turned evil."

"No!" shouted Donald, "Kairi can't be evil! She just can't be!"

"It's gotta be a trick," said Goofy.

"Oh it's no trick," said Kiraxi, "I'm no longer the goody two shoes that you thought I was."

"No, I don't believe it!" said Lyra, "you're not Kairi, you just can't be!"

"But I am Kairi," said Kiraxi, "ask me anything," she looked at Donald, "you know about that Thasala shell charms that Sora and I exchanged? Well I burned the one Sora gave me," she looked at Sora, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence, Olette and Nessie, all still catatonic as their minds were still in the dream world, "and I'll burn Sora's shell charm just before I kill him."

"I still don't believe it!" snapped Lyra. She looked at the Alethiometer, but it wouldn't give her a clear answer, "you…you're some kind of imposter."

"But she looks and sounds just like Kairi," said Rosalie, "and," she sniffed the air, "even her scent is the same. I'm sorry but this is the real Kairi."

"Glad you approve," said Kiraxi, "now to put you out of action, like I did with the other vampires, and those mangy mutts as well."

"No way," said Emmet, "you couldn't have beaten Edward, Bella, Alice and Jasper, not all of them at once."

"It was easy," said Xorat, "I'd show you, but I wouldn't want to deprive my colleague here her fun," he looked at Kiraxi, "your turn ."

"My pleasure," said Kiraxi. She then summoned a black fireball, "let's play catch!" she threw it at Rosalie faster than the vampire could dodge it. The fireball landed on her arm and began burning her like acid.

Xorat meanwhile had ran up to Emmet and kicked him into the air, then jumped up and kicked Emmet into the ground. Kiraxi then burned Emmet with her black fire.

"And now for the dregs of the heroes," said Xorat. He looked at Will, Kirjava, Donald, Goofy and Ansem, "you pathetic morons are dead as a fried chicken," he then looked at Lyra, "but you're coming with us," he looked at the catatonic Nessie, "and her too."

"Over my dead body," said Will as he stood defensively in front of Lyra with his sword out and his ki charged.

"I can fight my own battles," said Lyra as she drew her sword and charged her own energy, "but thanks anyway," she smiled at Will.

"Is that all you have to say?" Xorat asked, "well then, let's get to it then!" he then rushed at Will and Lyra and kicked their weapons out of their hands, then threw Will across the area, then grabbed Lyra's arm and broke it in two places.

Goofy threw his shield at Xorat, but he caught it and threw it back at Goofy, bashing him on the head and knocking him out. Xorat then grabbed Donald's staff and bashed him on the head, knocking him to the ground.

"How exasperating," Donald said before passing out.

Kiraxi then looked at Ansem, "you gonna try anything, old man?"

"I am merely a servant of the world," said Ansem, "with nothing to fight with except my mind," he then pulled out a small remote transmitter, "and this of course," he activated the transmitter.

* * *

><p>As Sora, Riku, Tess, Hayner, Pence, Olette and Nessie discussed strategies with L, mostly throwing out ideas onto the floor, Young Watari's PDA beeped, "it's Ansem!" he said after checking the message, "he's activated a recall signal. It means there's trouble in the waking world."<p>

"He wouldn't try to wake us up unless it was deadly serious," said Nessie. At that Tess and Olette nodded in agreement.

"Then we'd better go," said Riku, while Hayner and Pence nodded in agreement.

"I know," said L, "go, do whatever you need to do. I'll keep working on a new plan, and I'll contact you as soon as I have one that I'm sure will work," as well as one or two backup plans just in case."

"I know you'll do your best," said Sora, "and thank you."

"Thank me when the job is done," said L, "just go."

"Right," said Sora. He then looked at Young Watari, "so how do we wake up?"

"Like this," said Young Watari as he activated a feature on his PDA.

* * *

><p>The next thing Sora and the other dreamers knew, they were back in the real world, and saw Kiraxi.<p>

"Oh crap," said a shocked Tess.

"You ain't kidding," said Kiraxi, "if I could, Tess, I'd put back ever scar on you that I removed."

"How'd you know that?" Tess asked, "there's no way that you could know that!"

"Unless she's really Kairi," said Riku.

"I am Kairi!" snapped Kiraxi, "how many times do I have to say it?" She then had to dodge a sudden Thunder spell from Sora's Keyblade.

"What? Sora!" snapped Kiraxi in a mock shocked tone, "how could you attack me? Your one true love."

"You're not Kairi," said Sora confidently as he aimed his Keyblade at Kiraxi.

"But she is Kairi, Sora," said Xorat, "I was there when Gideon placed the mind control chip on her. I saw her heart descend into the darkness, and how she promised to deliver your still beating heart to Gideon and Maleficent on a silver platter."

"And I forgot the silver platter," said Kiraxi, "but I can still bring your heart to them."

"That's not going to happen," said Sora, "and you're not Kairi."

"Alright then," said Kiraxi, "just ask me anything, and I'll prove that I'm Kairi."

"You can tell her whole life story in every detail," said Sora, "you could tell every moment we were together; every time we kissed, every time we fell asleep together, everything, but that still won't make you the real Kairi."

"How can you be so sure, Sora?" Hayner asked.

"She looks like the real Kairi to me," said Pence.

"There's one way to be sure," said Nessie, "she may look, sound and smell like the real Kairi, but if she is the real Kairi, and Gideon did put that damn control chip on you, then show us the chip."

At that Kiraxi was taken aback, "excuse me?"

"You heard me," said Nessie as she confidently crossed her arms, "show us the chip, that is, if you have it on you."

* * *

><p>"Oh damnit!" snapped Gideon, "we forgot to put a chip on Kiraxi. They'll figure out that she's a fake."<p>

"Looks like your perfect plan is coming undone," said Kairi.

"I agree," said Maleficent. She looked at Gideon, "the illusion is about to be shattered."

"Alright," said Gideon, "so the brats aren't fooled any more. It doesn't matter. Kiraxi is still invincible. She'll rip through Sora and the others like crap through a goose!"

"Not if Sora rips that cheep copy apart first!" said Kairi.

"We shall see," Maleficent said again.

* * *

><p>"So, are you gonna show us that chip and prove to us that you are Kairi or not?" Nessie asked.<p>

"I don't have to prove to you anything," said Kiraxi, "I'm gonna burn all your friends, just like I did with your pathetic losers of a family, and your mutt of a boyfriend."

"Don't let her goad you, Nessie!" shouted Rosalie as she and Emmet struggled against the black flames. No matter what they did to try to put the evil fire out, it still slowly burned their immortal flesh.

"Deep Freeze!" shouted Sora as he sent the spell at Rosalie and Emmet. The Blizzard spell quenched the black flames, but the two vampires were still seriously hurt.

"Help your friends all you like, Sora," said Kiraxi, "you're gonna die in the end, so just make it easy for all of us and hand over Renesmee and Lyra, and I'll make your deaths as quick and painless as possible."

"You're delusional," said Sora as he held up his watch and activated his armor, while Riku and Tess did the same. Hayner, Pence and Olette also readied their weapons.

"Oh, you want to play?" Kiraxi asked as she summoned her dark Keyblade, "let's play!" With that she rushed at Sora, Riku and Tess. They barely managed to get their Keyblades up to block Kiraxi's attacks. She was hitting so hard and so fast it was like there were three of her, one for Sora, Riku and Tess each. It was all they could do to defend themselves against her vicious assault.

At the same time Xorat attacked Hayner, Pence and Olette, easily dodging their attacks, while launching vicious attacks of his own that they could barely defend against.

* * *

><p>"Your boyfriend and the others aren't doing so good," said Gideon.<p>

"Just you wait!" said Kairi, "Sora will beat that cheep copy!"

"I think not," said The Negotiator. The image showed Kiraxi knocking first Tess, then Riku down. She then attacked and hit Sora hard enough to knock him down hard enough to deactivate his armor.

"Sora," said Kairi in a tone that seemed defeated yet still hopeful, "get up, please get up."

* * *

><p>Sora did get up, only to be knocked down again by Kiraxi.<p>

"Hasn't it gotten through that thick head of yours yet, Sora?" Kiraxi asked, "you can't beat me! I'm superior to that pathetic reject, Kairi."

"Then what are you?" Tess asked as she and Riku got up again.

"Gideon created me out of that loser, Kairi," said Kiraxi, "He took her DNA and infused it with dark powers, creating a biological robot, a biot. I am Kiraxi, the Dark Duchess, and I'm definitely better than my pathetic progenitor."

"No," said Sora as he got up again, "Kairi's way better than you, in every way imaginable. She's kind, funny, serious, loving and most of all, she never gives up, even when the worst is about to happen. I'm gonna beat you, and then I'm gonna get Kairi back, even if I have to crawl my way through the realm of darkness and rip apart Gideon and Maleficent if I have to."

"Oh cry me a river," snapped Kiraxi. She then held up her dark Keyblade and before everyone's shocked eyes, charged it with her black flames, giving her dark Keyblade the appearance of being on fire.

"Take this Sora!" snapped Kiraxi as she rushed at Sora, indenting to take his head off. Sora got his Keyblade up in time to block, but when his Ultima Weapon came in contact with the burning Keyblade, a huge amount of energy was released from the dark weapon, energy that had terrible consequences.

Kiraxi kept Sora on the defensive as she hacked and slashed at him, again and again her burning Keyblade being blocked by his Keyblade. But the strain was too much and much to Sora's horror, his Keyblade began to crack. Again and again the vile biot attacked and again and again he blocked, but with each block another crack appeared in his Keyblade.

Finally it became too much and with one vicious strike from the burning Keyblade, Ultima Weapon shattered in Sora's hands and completely vanished

"What…? No!" shouted Sora, "how…? Why…?"

"Don't you get it yet?" Kiraxi asked as she smiled viciously, "I'm just better than you!" she then strick Sora on his left side, knocking him down to the ground. His armor absorbed the worst of the blow but was overwhelmed and deactivated when he hit the ground.

Kiraxi then stood over Sora before he could move, "time to die, Sora!" she shouted as she raised her Keyblade for a killing strike.

"No you don't!" snapped Riku as he blasted Kiraxi with his Dark Aura, pouring everything he had into the attack. She blocked the beam with her dark Keyblade, the force of the attack forcing her back several paces. She dug in her feet and endured the beam until Riku ran out of energy and staggered in exhaustion.

Kiraxi then ran up to Riku, her dark Keyblade again blazing with black fire He barely got his Keyblade up to deflect Kiraxi's buring Keyblade. She slashed at him again and again. He tried to block, but when his Keyblade came in contact with Kiraxi's, the black flames unleashing more and more dark energy that poured through Riku's Keyblade. Riku held his ground against the vicious onslaught, but then a crack appeared in Way to the Dawn, then another and another.

"Fall, loser!" snapped Kiraxi as she poured more dark energy into her black flames. Before anyone could react, Riku's Keyblade shattered and the dark Keyblade slashed across his chest. His armor absorbed the worst of the blow but it overwhelmed the armor as Riku fell, deactivating as he hit the ground.

"Another pathetic infidel down," said Kiraxi. She then gasped in shock and brought her dark Keyblade up to block Tess's razor. Tess had gone invisible and had tried to get behind Kiraxi so she could cut the impostors' throat. But Kiraxi deflected the razor enough so that all she got was a slight cut on her neck.

Kiraxi felt her neck and brought her hand up to see a spot of black blood. She then looked like she was about to explode with rage, "you!" she snapped at Tess, "you made me bleed my own blood!" She then rushed at Tess and attacked, her dark Keyblade still blazing with black fire as she viciously tried to cut Tess to pieces.

Tess blocked all of Kiraix's attacks, but before her shocked eyes, her Keyblade began to crack, then shattered. Kiraxi then struck Tess across the face, knocking Tess down, her deactivating as she hit the ground.

"I ought to skin you alive, bitch," said Kiraxi as she stalked over to Tess. She then turned around to block a strike from Will. She then broke both his wrists and tossed him over to Lyra, who was trying to get up despite her broken ankle.

"Will!" shouted Lyra.

"I'm alright," said Will through gritted teeth.

"No you're not," said Kirjava, "I can feel your agony."

"Just as I can feel Lyra's hurt," said Pan, "we're in serious trouble."

"You ain't kidding," said Xorat as he knocked down first Hayner, Pence and then Olette, and they didn't get up again. He and Kiraxi then looked at Nessie, "you're the only fighter left standing."

"You forgot about me!" shouted Roxas as he rushed at Kiraxi and Xorat with both Keyblades out, while Naminé charged up her white magic. But Xorat intercepted Roxas with a dark magic blast, knocking him down, while Kiraxi ran over and tossed Naminé into the air, then jumped up, grabbed Naminé and slammed her to the ground. Both she and Roxas weren't getting up any time soon.

"Now you're all alone," said Kiraxi as she glared at Nessie.

"It sure looks that way," said Nessie as she looked around to see that indeed that none of her friends were able to help. To make matters worse, there was no sign of Bella, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Jacob or the wolves. She was alone in this fight. But there were alternatives.

"Alright," said Nessie as she threw down her sword, "I give up."

"WHAT!" exclaimed Sora, Riku, Tess, Will, Lyra and everyone else.

"Excuse me?" Kiraxi asked in a confused tone.

"You heard me," said Nessie, "I surrender. Take me to your leader."

"What trickery is this?" Xorat asked.

"No tricks," said Nessie, "I know when I'm outmatched. Like you said, I'm the only one left standing to face you, so I might as well save everyone the effort. I'll go with you to the realm of darkness. I'll even carry Lyra for you."

"The hell you will!" snapped Will as he stood up and prepared to fight, even though he had two broken wrists, "I'll die before I let you touch Lyra, you traitor!"

"I did not see this coming," said Lyra, "nor did the Alethiometer."

"The Alethiometer has nothing to do with this," said Nessie, "I'm doing this to save everyone's lives," she looked at Xorat and Kiraxi, "if I go with you, and bring Lyra with me, you have to promise not to hurt any of the others."

"You're crazy to try to negotiate with them!" said Hayner as he, Pence and Olette tried to get up.

"Maybe she's really lost it," said Pence.

"Nessie," said Olette, "don't give up. We'll find a way to win."

"Not if you all end up getting killed," said Nessie, "I'd never forgive myself if you all were to sacrifice yourselves for me; I'm not worth it," she looked at Lyra, "you'd feel the same way if you were standing where I am right now."

Lyra tried to argue with her, but couldn't seem to find a way to do so. "She's right," she admitted, "I'd do the same."

"No," said Will in a frantic tone, "don't give up!"

"You think I wan to surrender?" Lyra, "believe me, I'm not happy with this, but it's the only way."

"This is my offer," said Nessie to Xorat and Kiraxi, "me and Lyra will come with you and we all leave now without any more fighting."

"But what if we want to keep fighting?" Kiraxi asked as she smiled viciously, "What if we want to make your friends hurt more?"

"Then you'll have to take me to Gideon in pieces," said Nessie as she picked up her sword again, "because that's the only way you'll take me otherwise. I'll fight to the living end to keep my friends safe."

"Well too bad," said Kiraxi, "because no matter what you do, your friends are still dead!"

"No!" said Xorat.

"What?" Kiraxi asked in a disbelieving tone, "you dare try to stop me from fighting?"

"We have our orders to bring the two princesses back unharmed," said Xorat. He pointed at Lyra, "that one is already damaged, and if the other one is damaged, then both Maleficent and Gideon are going to be very unhappy with us, and you don't want them unhappy."

"You're right," said Kiraxi, "the last thing I want is to displease Mr. Graves," she vanished her dark Keyblade, "alright, Renesmee Cullen, you have a deal. You and the other brat come with us, and all the others get to live, for now."

"Deal," said Nessie as she sheathed her sword.

"You're crazy!" snapped Hayner as Nessie walked over to Lyra and Will, "some friend you are!"

At that Nessie stopped and turned to face Hayner, Pence and Olette, "I'm only choosing the lesser of two evils," she then walked over to Hayner, Pence and Olette. She bent down to talk to them, "this way you and the others will have the chance to heal and come up with a really fantastic rescue plan."

"What if we don't want to come up with a rescue plan?" Olette asked, "we don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to go either," said Nessie, "but if I don't then you and everyone else are going to die. I can't live with that," she handed her sword to Olette, "look after that for me. I'm going to want it back someday." She then touched the heads of the three friends, sending to them her memories of all the good times they had together…

The first time they met, learning Struggle, eating Sea Salt Ice Cream atop the clock tower, all the adventures they had across the worlds, all of it convening her feelings for them and how much their friendship meant to her.

"I'll see you all soon," said Nessie after she finished uploading her thoughts and memories to Hayner, Pence and Olette, giving the three of them an assuring smile "I promise, we will have Sea Salt Ice Cream again." With that she got up and walked over to Will and Lyra.

"You stay away from her!" snapped Will.

"I don't want to have to fight with you over this, Will Parry," said Nessie, "even if you weren't crippled, you wouldn't stand a chance against me." She then touched Will's face, sending him a promise that she'll do everything she could to keep Lyra safe. "It'll be alright," she said after she finish the sending.

"But…I…" stammered Will.

"She's telling the truth," said Lyra after quickly checking the Alethiometer, "it's better this way. I'll be alright." She pocketed the golden compass and reached up for Nessie to help her stand on her good leg. She then hobbled over to Will, "I lost you once, I couldn't stand it if you were to die," she then kissed him on the lips, "even though we're worlds apart, even though our lives take different paths, our hearts will always be together."

"And how," said Pan. He nuzzled against Kirjava, "we'll be fine."

"You'd better be," said Kirjava as she brushed her whiskers against Pan's face, "or I'm going to be very upset."

"I know," said Pan. He looked up at Lyra, "I'm ready when you are."

"And I'm ready now," said Lyra. Nessie helped her bend down so she could pick up Pan in one arm while the other arm went around Nessie's shoulder. Nessie then helped Lyra over to Xorat and Kiraxi. But before they got to the two villains, Nessie still had one more person to talk to.

By now Sora had recovered enough that he was back on his feet. Nessie paused in front of him, "I don't need to read minds to know what you're thinking, Sora," she touched his face, sending him a message that she'll do whatever she could to find and help Kairi.

"I know you will," said Sora as Nessie, "and thank you."

"Any time," said Nessie.

"It's been incredible with you and the others, Sora," said Lyra.

"You're the incredible one," said Sora, "you, Pan, the Aletiometer, you're all fantastic."

"I'm not that special," said Lyra.

"Are you going to talk all day?" Xorat asked.

"We're coming," said Nessie irately, "keep your rubbers on!" She and Lyra then made their way over to the two villains.

But then Rosalie got up, "You can't go, Nessie!" she shouted, "there's got to be another way!"

"No there isn't, Aunt Rosalie," said Nessie, "it's either this or everyone dies. I won't let that happen."

"But what about your parents?" Emmet asked as he got up, "what about Jacob?"

At that Nessie faltered in her walking and nearly let Lyra go. But she didn't. She turned around and looked at her aunt and uncle, "tell mama, papa, Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper, Jacob and the others, that I love them with all my heart, that I'm doing this for them and every one, and that I will see them again soon. They'll understand, especially mama, papa and Jacob. And if they don't, well…that's their problem."

"Let's go before anyone else has anything else to say," said Kiriaxi.

"Agreed," said Xorat. He summoned a Dark Corridor. He went in first, with Nessie, Lyra and Pan going in next.

Kiraxi looked at Sora, "you and your friends have gotten a reprieve today, Sora, but next time we meet, I swear I will destroy you."

"Not if I destroy you first," said Sora.

"You may have won the battle," said Riku as he got up, "but the war is far from over."

"In that we agree," said Kiraxi. With that she walked into the Dark Corridor and it closed up after her.

"Well that sucked," said Tess as she and the others started to pull themselves together.

* * *

><p>"Two princesses secured!" said Maleficent as she crossed off the images of Nessie and Lyra with red X's.<p>

"And five more to go," said Gideon as the big screen showed Xorat and Kiraxi hand Nessie and Lyra over to several upper class demons and some high level Heartless and Nobodies. The creatures then escorted the two girls to the dungeons, while Xorat and Kiraxi headed to one of the labs.

"The recovery chambers are all set up," said The Negotiator, "an hour in the tanks and both will be ready to go after the other princesses."

"An hour is all Sora and the others need to get better!" snapped Kairi, "then they'll come here and murder you all! This isn't over yet!"

"You're quite right," said Maleficent as she gave Kairi a vicious smile, "it isn't over. It has only just begun."

Just then there came the sound of a distant explosion from one of the lower levels of the castle, "now what?" Gideon asked.

* * *

><p>Said explosion was caused by Aiden as he caused the air around one demon to explode. He then grabbed another demon and held his Keyblade at its throat, "how do I get to the throne room?" he demanded, "Tell me!"<p>

"I don't know!" said the demon, "I'm just a fighter! I've never been to the throne room!"

"Too bad," said Aiden as he sliced the demon's head off.

Just then The Scanner appeared ahead in the corridor, "ah, there you are."

"No!" said a terrified Aiden as he saw The Scanner, "you stay away from me!" he backed away from the demon.

"Oh but we only had a short time together," said The Scanner as he advanced on Aiden with his needle hands raised, "there's so much in your mind for me to examine, all that alchemic knowledge, and so much of it that you haven't used. It's a shame for it to go to waste."

"You keep away from me you bony bastard!" said Aiden as he kept backing up, only to realize he was backing into a corner, "I won't let you into my head again!"

As if you had a choice!" snapped The Scanner. He then grabbed Aiden faster than he could react. Aiden struggled against the demon but The Scanner was too strong. The demon began inserting his needle claws into Aiden's head.

"No!" screamed Aiden, "not again!" shouting in agony, he raised his Keyblade and, without actually meaning to, used it to create a Grand Arcadium circle out of pure energy. The circle activated and with a blinding flash, both Aiden and The Scanner were gone.

* * *

><p>The next thing the two of them knew, they were in an endless expanse of nothingness, just white all around.<p>

"What have you done, boy?" The Scanner demanded as he tossed Aiden to the ground, "what trickery have you used?"

Aiden looked around, "I…I honestly don't know what I did." he then looked and saw a large set of black stone doors that were carved in a mural pattern.

"What…? It…can it be?" Aiden asked as he stood up, "The Gate of Truth; source of all alchemic knowledge."

"Then that is where you got all that information," said The Scanner as he smiled viciously, his voice dripping with vile glee, "all that knowledge, and knowledge is power." he walked over to the doors.

"I wouldn't open that," said Aiden nervously, "the knowledge is there, but to get it you have to pay a price, and I don't know if demons can pay that price."

"I'll pay whatever price is necessary!" said The Scanner in a deranged tone, revealing a deep obsession for learning, "I will have all the knowledge of alchemy! I will have it!"

"Don't!" cried Aiden as the demon opened the doors. Aiden quickly covered his eyes, shielding himself from whatever terrors lay beyond The Gate.

The demon stood there at the opened doors as a virtual malestorm of knowledge came flooding out.

"Yes!" exclaimed The Scanner, "give me all the knowledge! It is mine! All mine!" he laughed insanely, unaware that along with the knowledge, several shadowy hands emerged from The Gate. The hands grabbed the demon and pulled him in, with the doors closing loudly after him.

Aiden opened his eyes when the doors closed, relieved to find that the demon who tormented him so was gone. But then he realized that he was alone.

"Just great," said Aiden, "now how do I get back to Sora and the others?"

Just then a voice from nowhere spoke, _'you have the power and the knowledge already. You only need the will to use it.'_

Aiden looked around in shock as he recognized the voice, "you're the one from my vision! The one who gave me all the alchemy info, and my Keyblade! You're the one who showed me the faces of the princesses of heart."

_'Perhaps I am,'_ said the voice, _'but does that really matter? What does is that you have all that you need to get home. But you need to do one more thing before you return to your friends. You need to seek out The Last Time Lord and enlist his help.'_

"The Last Time Lord?" Aiden asked, "you mean…The Doctor? I have to find The Doctor?"

_'Find him,'_ said the voice, _'and you will find the answer to the question.'_

"Excuse me?" Aiden asked, "what question?" But the voice was gone.

"This Keyblade Wielding business keeps getting stranger and stranger," said Aiden. He then sighed with reluctance as he rummaged through his mind and found that he did have what he needed to do what he had to do, "oh well, complaining won't get me anywhere," he pressed his wrists, "alright, let's do it!" he then created another Grand Arcadium circle and vanished.

* * *

><p>…Twilight Town…<p>

"I hate to be the one who admit sit," said Tess as she and Riku struggled to get up, "but it's official; we're screwed, big time!"

"Those two," said Riku, "Xorat and that copy of Kairi, they're pure evil."

"And we have to stop them somehow," said Hayner, "how, I don't know yet.":

"We'll think of something," said Sora, "we have to, not just for Kairi, Aiden, Lyra and Nessie, but for all our friends, for everyone." He then held out his hand to summon his Keyblade, but nothing happened.

"What?" Sora asked in confusion as he tried to summon his Keyblade again, but it still wouldn't materialize in his hand, "something's wrong! I can't summon my Keyblade!"

Riku and Tess held out their hands and tried to summon their Keyblades as well, but they wouldn't come.

"I can't summon mine either," said Riku, "it's like…like Kiraxi destroyed them, forever."

"I stand corrected," said Tess, "now we're officially screwed."

* * *

><p><strong>...Somewhere in Time and Space... <strong>

"They're here!" shouted Hektor as he and Pete raced through a forest, "we're right on top of them!"

"'Bout time!" said Pete. "Reddik! Rakel! Where are you!"

They ran into a clearing where a large tent was set up. Tending a fire near the tent was the demon familiar Kichot.

"Pete!" said Kichot, "how…what…why?"

Just then Reddik and Rakel emerged from the tent, "Pete!" said Rakel.

"So you finally wised up and left," said Reddik as he smiled vindictively and crossed his arms, "you left behind Maleficent and her madness."

"I wish it were otherwise, noble ones," said Hektor.

Rakel then recognized Hektor, "I know you, you used to work for my father."

"As did many of my comrades, Ms. Rakel," said Hektor, "my collegue Pete here came a long way to find you and Sir Reddik."

"You twos gotta come back with us," said Pete, 'back to the castle. Them other Hakonians need you."

"I beg your freaking problem?" Rakel asked irately.

"No!" snapped Reddik, "no way are Rakel and I going back to New Hollow Bastion! We left to get away from all that death and madness, so we won't be going back, thank you very much."

"But you have to return with us," said Hecktor, "we need you to lead us."

"No," Rakel said stubbornly, "we're not going back. And anyway, you've got your leaders already chosen. They're going to make Katarina and Nikolai marry."

"How's that going by the way?" Reddik asked.

"Not good," said Hecktor, "there's so much to explain, but it'll all make sense when you come back."

"Uh, I don't think so," said Rakel as she pulled out a pair of switchblades, while Reddik summoned a sphere of dark magic, "we've made ourselves very clear."

"We're not going back," said Reddik, "and if try to force us to go back, we'll make you regret it."

At that Pete gulped nervously, "oh boy, this ain't good."

**The end of Volume 11.**

Everything is going to come to a head in the next volume. Will Sora and the others recover in time to not only save Kairi, but to also stop Kiraxi and Xorat from abducting the other Princesses of Heart? What about Aiden? Will he find The Doctor and figure out what question he has to answer? And what about Pete? Will he get Reddik and Rakel to come back and fulfill their destinies as leaders of the Hakonians? All this and more will be revealed in the grand conclusion to Beyond the Door to Light Volume 12: The Light Within

See you then!


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